# Paint brush and roller cover lifespan



## Frank Steele (Jan 14, 2008)

How many jobs can you usually get out of them before you should chuck them?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Depends on the quality of the tool, how it's taken care of, and what you consider a "job"

Used in a professional capacity (6.5 hours of actual use a day), a premium sleeve such as a Purdy White Dove or Wooster Wool can be cleaned and re-used several times before needing replacement
This may be one job, part of one job, or several jobs

Premium brushes, such as the good Purdys, Woosters, or Coronas can last from weeks of full time use, to months and longer

In reality most pros have specific brushes for specific tasks, so some are used more, and/or in more tough environments, than others
While others have easy jobs with easy clean-up, and can last for more hours of actual use

Most DIYers can have sleeves last for several projects, and brushes last for decades if they take care of them properly


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## sirwired (Jun 22, 2007)

Maybe I am doing something wrong, but it takes me freakin' forever and a ton of water to clean a roller sleeve. (A scraper, a spinner, lots of hot water and soap.) I usually just chuck it at the end of a job. A 3/8" White Dove (my roller of choice) just doesn't cost that much. One sleeve for the primer and ceiling, another for the wall paint, done...

My brush on the other hand... It only takes two or three minutes or so to get those clean. (I clean it about every hour or so during the job... keeps the upper parts of the bristles from getting all nasty. This is doubly important when using a paint with a short open time, like SW ProClassic WB.) I haven't chucked one yet. A $15 or so a brush, this makes sense.

SirWired


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## Workaholic (Apr 1, 2007)

For me i need to make my stuff last as long as possible. I buy 3/4" lambs wool covers, and at the end of the day they are washed and put away. Now my brushes will not last anywhere near as long as a diy'ers will, since i use them a lot more often.

For a diy'er a quality brush should last for years and years. A roller cover on the other hand can be tossed if you do not have a job in the near future. Now if you are of the type that wants to get the most for your dollar, i say take the extra time and water and clean them. Yet if we are talking about a cover that cost a few bucks toss it.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

sirwired said:


> Maybe I am doing something wrong, but it takes me freakin' forever and a ton of water to clean a roller sleeve. (A scraper, a spinner, lots of hot water and soap.) I usually just chuck it at the end of a job.












(when the wife's not home, and before I put my whites* in)
(*painter's whites = painter's white pants and shirts)

I will wash Wool, 50/50, and White Doves
Not all the time, but often enough

I always keep a few "used and cleaned" White Doves on hand as go-to sleeves
I find I love the way they work paint and it's truly consistent
If I'm running into problems, I always grab a used and cleaned White Dove
Gets me out of trouble, and as it's a known factor, I know if it's me or the other sleeve if the used one works OK
If not, then it's the paint


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## DIYpainter (Feb 8, 2008)

*Cleaning paint rollers*

Slickshift,

Do you really clean them in the wasing machine? If so, what cycle(s)? Do you soak them first or anything, and for how long? Is this effective? What about drying?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Um...yes
Not all the time
But I do occasionally

I scrape them first with the cover scraper on my 5 in 1
I use the curved part to crape off the bulk









Then that machine up there, I put it on Knits/Blends-Low/Low which is the agitate/spin settings
(there's no medium)

They are pretty dry after the spin, but I'll stand them on end on some newspaper for the air dry


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## End Grain (Nov 17, 2007)

I know the feeling. Unless it's a lambswool roller or a premium quality roller, I more-often-than-not buy a moderate-to-decent cover and then usually chuck it after a painting task. Remember that I'm not a professional painter, I don't paint entire rooms and that I may not need to use a roller again for weeks or months at a time. They are strictly a consumable for me, not my bread and butter as with a professional painter. If I were a professional painter, I'd make sure that I had developed a good routine for cleaning the rollers efficiently.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

(when the wife's not home, and before I put my whites* 

You can bet your life on that quote!:laughing:


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## DIYpainter (Feb 8, 2008)

Thanks Slickshift.

I'll do that but definitely make sure it's before the wife is home.


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## tverhoef (Feb 24, 2008)

My Rollers normally last me up to 6 months my brushes about 14 moths however I'm very very pick how they are cleaned as well as used I very much dislike paint on my block and handles ,I put a conditioner on my brushes and rollers it called "Brush Goop" made by Flood. 
I let them soak but I'm very careful not to submerge below the block or brush band just because it causes rust, then brush them and rinse thoroughly and hang dry I let them hang so they don't get a memory bend. My rollers I slightly burn after defusing, those as well I will let soak after a good rinse before a good washing. I don't normally scrape my rollers it seems to pull the nape off I think. I use Wooster 50/50's I personally think they are the best, My brushes are either Coronas' or Purdy. It all depends on how they are cared for and I think every painter is different I have been told that I am very anal when it comes to my tools.


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