Brushes & Rollers: In order to clean your brushes and rollers after using them to apply oil base paints, you would want to follow these steps.(remember, you should use the right type of brushes and rollers in the first place, or your cleaning experience will be difficult.)

• Step 1: You need a place to clean your tools, so create a wash bucket, a first rinse bucket and a second rinse bucket. You will do this using three clean plastic containers large enough to hold the tools being cleaned, then pour a small amount of the appropriate cleaning solvent into the containers. The appropriate cleaning solvent will be determined by the particular brand of paint you use. Most paints will have a recommended cleaner for them, such as a particular paint thinner etc. If your paint doesn't, a good quality paint thinner should do the trick. You will also want soap and water.


• Step 2: Once your wash bucket is prepared with the right cleaning solution, you need to place the item to be cleaned into the wash bucket.


• Step 3: this is where you get to scrub a dub dub. Of course you will want to wear rubber gloves, or something to protect your hands as your cleaning solution is made up of paint thinner, and can dry out or damage your skin if you are not careful. Also, if there are fumes, you will want to use a mouth protector so you do not inhale too much. So, using a properly protected hand, work the cleaning solution through the brush bristles/roller cover. If you find you are having a difficult time getting the paint to come out of the brush bristles, you should consider the use of a brush comb, as it will be helpful to remove dried paint and debris from deep within the bristles.


• Step 4: Wring out excess cleaning solution by squeezing brush bristles/roller covers. You do not want to move your items to the rinse buckets until you get as much of the cleaning solution off of them as you can.


• Step 5: Once properly wrung out you should place the items into the first rinse bucket. (This bucket should be filled with hot water, which is used to rinse out the paint thinner. You do not want to use water in the first bucket as it does not mix with oil, and will make cleaning more difficult.


• Step 6: Repeat steps 3 and 4, but with rinse bucket one, or in other words, scrub the brushes and roller covers again to get out anything you missed, and to clean out the paint thinner itself, then wring them out.


• Step 7: Place items into the second rinse bucket.


• Step 8: Rinse the items well, repeat steps 3 and 4, this is extra insurance they are clean.


• Step 9: Allow items to dry. If you are in a hurry, and you want to dry brushes and rollers quickly, use a brush spinner.


• Step 10: Replace brushes and roller covers back into their protective coverings.

Buckets, Paint Trays, etc.: to clean the oil based paint off of buckets, paint trays, and other tools follow these steps.

• Step 1: Empty excess paint into the appropriate paint cans for reuse, or for disposal. If you want to reuse the paint make sure that it does not have dust and debris in it, as that will ruin the paint and make it unusable.


• Step 2: Once the trays are empty, wipe them out with a rag soaked in the appropriate cleaning solution, but be sure that you do this with gloves on.


• Step 3: Repeat step 2 until the item is thoroughly cleaned. Allow paint saturated items such as rags, disposable paint liners, etc. to dry before properly disposing of them. If you do not know what proper disposal is, contact your local waste management office and they can direct you.