# Cleaning- Zinsser BIN Primer



## DaleB

Please give me an idea- I've wrecked two good paint brushes. When using Zinsser BIN primer what is the best thing to use for cleaning brushes and paint buckets? I've tried paint thinner, acetone and brake kleen- no luck. My only other thought was minerial spirits but didn't think that would work. Is this something you just use a cheesy brush and throw it away after? Please let me know. Thanks.


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## Brushjockey

It is shellac based- and cleans with denatured alcohol. Some say ammonia also works, but I just use Denatured. Because it is neither water based or oil based is what makes it such a good sealer.


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## ltd

when my good brushes have seen better days they become primer brushes . after your done using bin just pitch.


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## jschaben

Hmmm, says on the can denatured alcohol or 50-50 ammonia and water.


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## poppameth

Denatured Alcohol is the best thing to cleanup after BIN with. However, its still pain. A cheap brush to throw away afterward will be a better investment than spending big bucks on cans of alcohol.


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## jsheridan

If the brush is hardened from BIN, it's trash. Even if a quality brush, the time and material required to clean, and the inferior brush you'll have after, make this effort an actual loss. I work with BIN on a regular basis and have never once used denatured alcohol. Well, maybe the first couple of times, until I got smart. Firstly, if you wrap a BIN brush well in plastic it will last for months. Usually you'll find one wrapped in my gear to do spot priming, which then gets re-wrapped for the next time. Secondly, ammonia is excellent for cleaning BIN brushes. One gallon of ammonia is a few bucks, one quart of alcohol is around ten, you tell me. It didn't use to specify ammonia as a cleaning solution on the can, that's fairly new wording.
Poppameth, I experience no pain, other than the smell, when using ammonia. You need to change up, you're working too hard. Ammonia is much simpler/less work than alcohol.


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## Matthewt1970

I am usually with the cheap brush for Bin if there is more than just a couple spots to prime. If it's just a couple spots then get the spray can. You can use it till it's gone and it will cost less than 3 or 4 cheap brushes.


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## user1007

I am more or less out of the game now but years ago, I started bidding on eBay for lots of nice brushes with sizes and things I could once never imagine no use for ever having just to get the 2.5-3.0 angled sash ones for both acrylic and oil I used all the time. Real auctioned lots of Purdy and Wooster brushes folk. 

You know what the skags ended up coming in handy for? 

I guess you could classify them as cheap brushes but they had wood handles and felt right in my hand. Did I bother to chase down alcohol, acetone, ammonia to clean them? Please. Some disagree with me but I don't spend 30 minutes and water at 10 gallons per minute to rinse out of $2/retail roller covers either. 

I know I preach quality brush ownership and care on this site. But when it comes to saving a brush with the amounts of chemicals you need to clean BIN out of the bristles. Forget it.

And especially if you bought 10 brushes with plastic handles at a box store to start. Good luck. 

So I guess my concept in this thread concept is their can be sacrificial paint brushes. I am sticking by my belief there is no such thing as a cheap paint brush. I will concede to the possibility of a well shopped and inexpensive brush.

As mentioned, keep the air off your BIN laden brush with plastic and just pronounce it dead when gone. 

- Steven


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## user1007

sdsester said:


> As mentioned, keep the air off your BIN laden brush with plastic and just pronounce it dead when gone.
> 
> - Steven


Did not mean to type that reference.


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## jsheridan

I think we're losing track here. I don't understand the debate over the quality of brush when priming. It's one thing to use a chip/throwaway brush to spot prime knots with BIN, but not every BIN application is such. I use BIN at times as a full prime on finish trim, therefore I need a quality brush. Who uses cheap brushes just because it's primer, whether bin or knot (pun intended)? Worn out brushes have their place as primer choices, and I've been there, but that is only really the choice an experienced painter should make. I don't think it good policy to recommend that to DIYs, or to indirectly infer it. When I do finish work, I use finish brushes, whether it's the prime coat or the top coat.


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## Jonny big potatoes

I always use bin primer as a undercoat on skirtings architraves and panel doors 
As it dries rapid 
When I’m done I clean my brushes in methylated spirit, Good as new if not better


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## mark sr

I believe denatured alcohol [what I use] or ammonia would be cheaper.


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## Jonny big potatoes

mark sr said:


> I believe denatured alcohol [what I use] or ammonia would be cheaper.


denatured alcohol not used in the uk 
Mentholated spirit is cheap as chips and easy to buy in our local shops


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## jeffnc

DaleB said:


> Please give me an idea- I've wrecked two good paint brushes. When using Zinsser BIN primer what is the best thing to use for cleaning brushes and paint buckets? I've tried paint thinner, acetone and brake kleen- no luck. My only other thought was minerial spirits but didn't think that would work. Is this something you just use a cheesy brush and throw it away after? Please let me know. Thanks.


Good lord man, doesn't anyone ever read the instructions any more?

Is this a troll?


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## Gymschu

@jeffnc yet another thread raised from the dead from 2011.


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## snic

I can't decide how I feel about these ancient thread resurrections. On the one hand, something interesting sometimes pops up and I learn something new. On the other, sometimes I see a thread title that suggests I'd have something useful to contribute to the person who posted it, only to find that I'd have to travel back in time in order to be helpful. Since this is a DIY forum, if anyone has plans to build a time machine, please post them.


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## jeffnc

Ah. Sometimes I look, sometimes I miss it. But that's OK, these threads are not just for the OP, they get referenced over time by search engines as well.


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## Clarkeydiy

DaleB said:


> Please give me an idea- I've wrecked two good paint brushes. When using Zinsser BIN primer what is the best thing to use for cleaning brushes and paint buckets? I've tried paint thinner, acetone and brake kleen- no luck. My only other thought was minerial spirits but didn't think that would work. Is this something you just use a cheesy brush and throw it away after? Please let me know. Thanks.


We used Zinsser BIN recently and having no dedicated brush cleaner, we looked into some forums including here.
As ammonia and has been mentioned and is corrosive, I looked at another product with containing corrosive chemicals.... It was, in fact Mr Muscle, plughole and drain unblocked... I guess any brand would work.
A small amount cleaned the brush very effectively... we then washed through thoroughly with washing up liquid and warm water. Obviously we avoided any skin contact with the product.


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