Q&A for How to Clean Acrylic Paint Brushes

Yes, using a lacquer thinner along in conjunction with a brush cleaner should work fine.

No, if paint has already dried the brush cannot be used anymore and should be discarded.

Soaking them in nail polish remover will soften the bristles and break down the dried up paint.

You can either use a paint medium (Liquitex has many of them) or a small amount of water. Test out the solution first because using too much water can make your paint appear more watercolor-like.

If you want to change colors, you can use a different brush or swirl it around in a cup of water until the paint comes out. You only need to thoroughly clean with soap and water after you are done using the brush for the day.

Most likely your brushes are garbage-bound. It's important to clean your brushes when you're done using them to prevent paint on them from drying. Putting your brushtips in vinegar may revive them, however.

Adding 30% or more water to the paint breaks the bond of the paint at the molecular level. Use Acrylic Medium to thin out the paint. There are some mediums that also act as a sealant to preserve your work as well.

Use regular water and try not to push the brush down hard when cleaning it. After you dip it in the water, making sure most of the paint is off, wipe the brush off with a paper towel.

This method should work for all types of acrylic (water-based) paint and paintbrushes.

Do not use hair conditioner on your paintbrushes; it will react with the paint the next time you use them. Once the brushes are cleaned, rinsed, and patted dry, lay them flat to finish drying completely. No preservative is necessary.

Yes, any commercially-available liquid dish soap is gentle enough to use for cleaning brushes.

Mixing water with acrylic paint can be done, but be careful not to put too much water or it will not be pigmented enough, it also may become like watercolor paint. The best option for the pouring technique would be to use paint thinner.

Make sure that it hasn't dried yet. If it has, then it will be extremely difficult to clean off. Wipe your sponge on a tissue or rag and swish it around in a water container. Turn on the sink and place this under and apply slight pressure to rid of the paint.

Soak the brushes in a vinegar/water solution. That should loosen the paint. If that fails, soak them in rubbing alcohol.