When painting do you know how to clean brushes?

[Susie]

Yes, common knowledge that you need to clean up your supplies when you finish a project.

However, I can imagine someone not appreciating the value of a quality paint brush if they don't paint much, and therefore not appreciating the gravity of one's favorite brush being ruined and the appropriate level of contrition that should be expressed.

[mrsukyankee]

I mean, I even learned that in 4th grade while taking painting in art. And re-learned it again at 16 when I did interior painting as a summer job. I'd clean regardless of what sort of paint I was using when the job was done.

[eb777888]

Oct 29, 2024 10:31:21 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

I mean, I even learned that in 4th grade while taking painting in art. And re-learned it again at 16 when I did interior painting as a summer job. I'd clean regardless of what sort of paint I was using when the job was done.

Right?? If H told me he didn't know to clean them, I'd think he's lying, lol, because wut.

[rhian]

I've never painted anything before, but I think I'd know to rinse it off immediately. But I could see thinking that you could make dinner first and then come back to wash the brushes after that (not sure if that was his plan?)

[pinkdutchtulips]

Very much common sense to rinse out a brush when you're done using it.

My dad was union drywaller hanger/painter in college and before he became a minister. The brush is still salvageable. It just just needs a good soak - cold to loosen the bristles then hot to get the paint out (water based) or turpentine (oil based). 

I learned this from watching him after us kids would help him with projects around the house and let brushes sit after use getting all dried out.

[raleighnc]

And honestly, he didn't even have to clean it all the way if he was that stumped by life. He could have stuck it in a cup of water and then googled later.

[wanderingback]

Oct 29, 2024 10:56:42 GMT -5 rhian said:

I've never painted anything before, but I think I'd know to rinse it off immediately. But I could see thinking that you could make dinner first and then come back to wash the brushes after that (not sure if that was his plan?)

Yeah I was going to say this.
I’ve never painted a wall or anything like that.
I’m not always the best at finishing things in a succinct manner and come back to tasks. So I could absolutely see myself doing this and not thinking its a big deal and will clean up later (most likely after my child goes to bed lol).

[ellipses84]

I say it’s common sense but DH is the least handy person ever and also not the cleanest person ever so he probably would just let it dry out. We paint infrequently enough that we do tend to buy new supplies each time.

[livinitup]

The real question is, now that he is aware that he ruined your favorite brush, is he going to replace it or does that fall to you?

[twilightmv]

I paint a lot now so I rinse right away, but I definitely ruined a few brushes in my time. I lack common sense when it comes to executive functioning though so I’ve only learned these things through consequence. It’s not even a “what did you think would happen?” thing for me, because when I’m in that sort of mode it doesn’t even cross my mind.

[jobae1234]

Oct 29, 2024 9:02:45 GMT -5 clairebear said:

Oct 29, 2024 7:28:07 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Agree.

His paint job was fine, but I guess he's a rare breed who missed painting day in elementary school. Gah. I need to let it go, but it was my favorite brush.

There are those reels that are like “explain to me what you mean by ‘marriage is hard’” and then there’s a stitch where they say something like “we have to decide what to eat, EVERY DAY.” And I’m always like, no, that’s not why it’s hard.

It’s hard because of situations like this. “My husband ruined something of mine that I really liked by doing something that goes against the common sense of an elementary schooler in art class, and I need to just breathe and act nice about it.” Repeat x1000.

[hermione]

Team Husband. I have no idea what wrapping it even means - in what, how tightly, for how long?. I'd half-heartedly rinse it and move on. Then a week later I'd throw it out.

[Jalapeñomel]

Surely he took art in elementary, middle, and high school. Come on bro, you know better.

[tacokick]

Even if you weren’t sure how to clean them, I’d think most people would understand that paint dries and is permanent. That’s why you are using paint on your walls. You can see that it dries and stays put as you are painting. There is no mystery here.

My guess is he had no idea you had a favorite brush and thought they were disposable/not worth the effort and thought saying he didn’t know they had to be cleaned right away was better than saying he didn’t care.

[stemmie]

I would not consider this common sense.

If no one ever taught him this particular life skill, I would not expect him to know. I did teach DS to paint, so I would expect him to know. But DH? He only ever does ceilings for me.

[Jalapeñomel]

The skill here is to clean up your mess. We gotta stop allowing men to get away with the bare minimum under the guise of “no one taught me that.”

There are a million things I wasn’t explicitly taught that I can figure out as a functioning adult.

[bittybomb]

This reminds me of when my husband and I were first married. He claimed to not actually know how to make a bed. And I was like really, please just stop. If you want to share a bedroom and a bed with me, you’ll make the bed when you’re the last one in it. Celebrating 20 years in two and a half weeks and I’m pleased to say he’s made the bed, correctly, ever since. I’d call your husband on the bullshit excuse and tell him you expect him to replace it.

[basilosaurus]

Nov 1, 2024 7:44:08 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Surely he took art in elementary, middle, and high school. Come on bro, you know better.

I'll give you elementary, but middle and high school it was an elective that cost extra. Since I come from a family of artists they were happy to pay for 8th grade general art and 10th grade sculpture and ceramics, but it was far from norm. Friends at neighboring schools didn't even have that option. Hi, we're Florida!

But, still, cleaning a brush is shit you learn in preschool.