How do I clean dried acrylic paint from artist brushes (natural and synthetic?)

Hello artmom-ga,

Acrylic paints dry very quickly and once dry they become very
difficult to remove. If the brushes are cheap, you might want to just
throw them away and replace them. If you want to salvage your brushes
soak them in acetone and rinse in water. Acetone is old-fashioned nail
polish remover. Many of today?s nail polish remover are acetone free
so be sure to check the label. An alternate solvent is denatured
alcohol. Check the eHow websites suggestions for additional
suggestions.

Good luck.

~ czh ~


http://www.rexart.com/whatacry.html
http://www.liquitex.com/aboutliquitex/whatisacrylicpaintOld.cfm
Clean up Acrylic Paints

From hands: Wet or dried acrylic paint cleans with soap and water. 

From brushes: Clean wet brushes with soap & water. Clean dried acrylic
brushes with acetone, denatured alcohol or equivalent product. These
cleaning solutions are toxic. Care should be taken during use.

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http://www.creativecauldron.com/articleAcrylicPaint.shtml
Artist's Acrylic Paints -- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

There is a dark side to acrylics. If acrylics dry on a brush, you will
probably need to replace the brush, as it will be almost impossible to
remove the dried paint. It's best to use synthetic brushes with
acrylics (see my article "An Artist's Guide To Brushes"). Acrylics
will adhere more strongly to natural fibers, making natural fiber
brushes harder to clean.

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http://www.dickblick.com/categories/acrylics/
What kind of brushes work best when using acrylic paints? 

Both natural and synthetic bristles can be used with acrylics,
depending on the artist's preference. But, acrylics, being alkaline in
nature, can be hard on natural hair brushes.

The brushes must be kept clean. If acrylic paint dries in a brush it
is very hard to get out without using strong solvents that might
damage the brush. Clean brushes promptly by washing them with warm
water and mild soap when finished painting.

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http://www.ehow.com/how_6918_clean-acrylic-paints.html
How to Clean Up Acrylic Paints 

3. Avoid letting acrylic (or oil) paint dry on your brush. If you
accidentally do so, try a little bit of Dow Bathroom Cleaner (the
Scrubbing Bubbles) before you throw it away.
 
4. Wet the brush, squirt on some Dow, massage the bristles, then
rinse. If that doesn't work, rinse the brush well and try acetone.

Tips from eHow Users:

To wash brushes with dried on acrylic paints: (works every time) 

Fill the sink with HOT water, and soak the brushes for a minute or so.
Swish the brushes fast back and forth through the water, and the paint
should start melting and sliding off. use your fingers and keep
pulling it off and swishing until they are clean.

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http://www.dickblick.com/zz006/23c/
Blick Artist's Acrylic Remover
Use for removing dried acrylic paint from brushes. This item is not
certified non-toxic, and it bears the CL label of the Art & Creative
Materials Institute.

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http://www.talens.com/mainfaqfinearts.asp
Q  Can a dried-out acrylic paint brush be restored?

A  Leave the hair bundle to soak in Talens Acrylic Remover for approx.
one hour. Rinse out, wash in mild soap and rinse thoroughly again.



SEARCH STRATEGY
clean dried acrylic paint brushes

Thanks  for the tips on how to clean dried acrylic paint from brushes.
I tried several methods and they all worked to some degree!

I had a "good" paint brush that I used with latex paint (water
soluble) and it dried for 24 hours--was completely stiff!  I soaked
the bristles in water for 24 hours, then sprayed with Dow bathroom
cleanser (Scrubbing Bubbles) and let stand for 10 minutes.  I used a
hair comb to comb out the bristles under hot water and most of the
paint slid right off the bristles.  A second application of the
cleanser removed the rest of the paint, and the bristles are now clean
and supple.  This was well worth the expense of the cleanser (which
also works well in the bathroom).