I have read that non-drying oils (baby oil, sunflower oil, other cooking oils) can be used for brush cleaning at the end of a painting session, so long as they are then cleaned with soap to remove the non-drying residue. However, from my experience it’s usually not possible to remove absolutely all of the substance that was on a brush. I would like to know if the usage of non-drying oils as a cheap (and healthier) alternative to solvents is advisable? Wouldn’t it be better to use linseed oil and soap, or just soap?
I also remember another suggestion, which was to keep the brush tips submerged in oil (walnut or linseed) in a tray instead of washing them with soap and letting them dry. Would that be advisable?
I wouldn’t use mineral oil or baby oil for brush rinsing. Honestly, I don’t like even the possibility of a non-drying mineral oil getting into the paint. Semi-drying and drying vegetable oils are a different matter, especially when reserved for end-of-day cleanup followed by soap. (Personally, I’ve gotten best results with vegetable oil bar soap. ) Just be sure not to keep anything at the painting station that would cause trouble if you accidentally dipped into the wrong jar.
Trying to keep brushes wet by continuously submerging the tufts in oil is not a good practice. Paint will still build up and dry in the ferrule where it can cause the most trouble, and the glue holding the tuft in place may loosen. Just wash your brushes, groom the tuft into shape and lay flat to dry.
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