Basement Door Renovation, Pt. 8, and Cleaning Paintbrushes

With the mortise cut, I can paint the bare wood.

I suspect the Previous Owner would have just left it bare, but I think that looks shoddy and, well, unfinished.

It's easy enough to grab a paintbrush and paint it.

You can also see the mortise edges are fixed - the magic of spackling.

I've gotten to be a pretty decent painter since I've had a number of painting projects here in the old Yr Fthfl Blggr homestead.  The main thing for me has been to learn that preparation is 80% of the work.

In addition, I've learned that quality brushes make a difference, and it's easy to take care of them.  They can last years if you clean them properly.

Here's the method I use.

Get the excess paint off under a stream of warm water - just a few seconds.

Next, take a bucket of warm water and put some liquid fabric softener in it.  I kid you not.

I'm sure there are exact proportions out there - but I use more or less a cup in a gallon of water.

Then then swirl the brush around around in the bucket.  Don't press the bristles on the side or the bottom of the bucket.  Swirl for about 30 seconds.

Then inspect the brush and if needed, swirl it again.  I usually do 2 swirls for good measure.

The solution will remove the paint - and you can reuse it a number of times.  If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.  And 'paint' your arm with the brush right after it comes out of the solution - there will be no paint on the brush!

After the swishing, shake the brush to get the excess water/solution off. 

Then hang your brush by the hole in the handle to dry. 

This method has worked well for me.  It gets the bristles clean and keeps them nice and soft. 

If you take care of your brushes in this way you can invest in good quality brushes (I use Purdy) which won't shed, won't leave excess brush marks, and will be ready to use when you need them.

Here's the finished bracket after painting.

Now I just have to repaint the door...ugh.