Question about cleaning brushes

[wetwater]

Will using a harsher cleanser make synthetic bristles less soft? How about natural bristles?

Similarly, can conditioning (using EVOO or regular hair conditioner) improve softness in synethic/natural bristles?

 

[katelyn0]

A harsher cleaner will make bristles less soft. If you don't have an actual brush cleaner solution a lot of people use dish soap on their brushes (which cleans them good, but dries them out) then mix the dish soap with olive oil to condition the brushes so they don't dry out and lose softness.

 

[wetwater]

Does this happen for synthetic and natural bristles?

 

[kaliraksha]

Sure, harsh cleaners that have tougher and more effective chemicals will be harsher on any type of brush. I imagine with synthetic it can strip off coatings or finishes on brushes. I've had great success using baby shampoo and never seen a need for anything harsher.

This thread has tons of great tips:

http://www.specktra.net/forum/f256/c...ed-know-26725/