Why The Property Brothers Recommend Freezing Your Paintbrush
The Property Brothers know a thing or two about paint. They've made a fortune from flipping and selling old homes for a considerable profit. The twins, Jonathan Scott and Drew Scott, are no strangers to getting their hands dirty at work — they've painted and overseen the redesign of hundreds of houses since starting their business. During that time, they became experts in storing and maintaining painting utensils.
One go-to trick? Storing your brushes in the freezer. The twins told Today that ice-cold brushes retain their shape and quality for much longer than room temp utensils. Remember, the better care you take of your tools, the less time and money you have to spend buying new ones in the long run.
It turns out there is a method to the Property Brothers' madness, as many professionals recommend storing your brushes in the freezer too. Some store brushes in the freezer for up to two weeks before using them, while others let them sit for months. Below, we fill you in on how and when you should (or shouldn't!) let your brushes get ice cold.
A cold paintbrush is a good paintbrush
When it comes to questions about painting your property, the Property Brothers are the guys with the answers. Drew and Jonathan Scott insist that the best way to get straight lines and thorough coverage comes from freezing your paintbrushes before use. The genius behind this idea is the same logic implied when someone tells you to store bread in the freezer — cold air preserves quality. The icy temperature will keep the bristles on your brush straight and sharp for years.
Just wrap your brush in aluminum foil and place it in the freezer. For best results, freeze your brushes a few days before you plan to paint. Of course, in a pinch, a few hours in the freezer will do too. Make sure that your brushes are thoroughly clean and dry before freezing, though, as dried and frozen paint can ruin the bristles. The trick is a lifesaver for paint rollers, which quickly deteriorate through frequent use. Give your rollers a good wash, then let them dry completely. Finally, toss them in a plastic bag and into the freezer. Within just a few hours, they'll be rolling like new.
Not all paints are the same
The freezer trick is great at keeping your paintbrushes fresh, but it has drawbacks. For example, if you freeze your brushes after using certain types of paint, you risk damaging the bristles — or making them harder to clean down the line. Some artists or house painters store their brushes in the freezer without ever cleaning them simply because cleaning them is damn tedious. This is particularly true with oil-based paints, which are notoriously difficult to clean. In that case, some artists store them in the freezer because the cold air keeps the bristles supple enough to use without needing to clean them.While this might sound great, remember that cleaning semi-dried oil paint is much more complicated than wet oil paint, and eventually, you will need to clean your brushes.
If you need to keep your brushes fresh overnight but don't have time to wash them, dirty ones can be chilled too. As a rule of thumb brushes covered in water-based paints such as latex or acrylic will do best in the refrigerator, as overly icy temperatures will cause the paint to clump and harden. Dirty oil-covered brushes, on the other hand, should be stored directly in the freezer for a couple of weeks — some even say months — before they need to be cleaned.