Restoring Brush Tips

A quick and simple way to restore the shape of a damaged brush is with a cup of boiling water. I have had a lot of success using this method. The first time was with a flat brush whose bristles, were bent out of shape due to poor packaging. Using the steps outlined below, it restored it to its original factory shape. 

Some Typical Examples 
These two brushes were part of a bag of thirty, bought at a thrift store for $3.00. Most of them were good-quality brushes, but many were bent and splayed as seen in the "before" pictures below. You can see the dramatic restoration that took place using this method. 

Important Before Beginning

Many brushes look out of shape when they are dry. It is important to first test your brushes by dipping them in cool water. Give the paintbrush a flick to remove any excess water from the bristles. This will show you the brush's true shape. At that point, you can decide whether it needs to be repaired or not.

How It Works

Boil a cup of water in a microwave. Dip the brush tip, about halfway down the length of its bristles, into the boiling water.* Swish and rub the submerged half of the bristles against the side of the cup for 3-5 seconds. Remove the brush and flick it over a sink. Check the shape and tip. If there is still some damage, repeat the previous steps as required. Once the brush is ready, let it air dry with the bristols pointing down. *Caution: NEVER dip the bristols of a brush into the hot water down past the ferrule (the metal or plastic piece), or you can affect the glue holding the bristols in place.

An Alternative for Slight Damage

If you have a brush that is only slightly out of shape this method may not be necessary. Clean out any dried paint in the bristles of the brush using a brush cleaner. Once clean, shape the tip with your fingers, then let the brush dry, bristles down, with the soap left in it. Rinse out the soap before painting.

Some Important Provisions

I am always cautious about presenting a method like this because there are always unknown variables. Things like brush quality, age, etc. all play a factor. This method is for severely damaged brushes. Try this with caution and at your own risk. Practice first on a brush that you don't mind losing to get comfortable with the process. To date I have only done this with synthetic tips, I am not sure how natural bristles would respond. As with many things, dealing with the damage before it gets too severe is always recommended. 

This method won't restore every brush. Sometimes it is simply that a brush is too old. Paintbrushes do wear out but don't throw these ones away. They are great for other types of mark-making when painting.