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Cleaning your painting rags

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Ruth Dolan

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As I cut up old towels to use as painting rags for my acrylics, I dislike throwing them away once they no longer have a clean space on them as I find towelling the best for this purpose, but towels do not get old too frequently! I have just soaked my last piece in warm to hot water and detergent, and am waiting to see what happens. Has anyone any other tips apart from the obvious one of throwing them out? Would appreciate hearing what other artists do....

Alan Owen

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I do the same and wash them in washing powder soaking in a bucket out side and hang them on the line . I keep say to the wife," it is time we bought some more towels the ones we have are getting old _". but she won't fall for it ..mind you I,ve bought six cotton undervests for me,, so I should be alright for a while cutting my old ones up

Ruth Dolan

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Thanks, Alan. Yes, cotton underclothes work well too, but I do prefer to use the thicker towels. I am just wondering how soft mine will dry as I no longer get to the line to hang them out...

Derek Snowdon

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I have just received today, a Mastersons sponge and it's got loads of info to do with it and the papers first, before I can use it. It's a revelation for me as I have been using the Daler Rowney papers and base paper, which is not a sponge. Oh well tomorrow.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Derek - you can read as well as I can of course, but maybe I can put it more simply than the instruction with the palette, which I remember as being a bit of a faff. Just wash out the sponge in cold water; wring it out, not too roughly but so it's not dripping all over the place, and put it in the tray. Take a piece of your paper, put it in the sink and pour boiling water over it, and leave it for ten minutes or so. It tends to be a little more transparent when it's ready to fish out of the sink (but not all that much). Lay that on the top, and you're ready to go. And now I know to wash the palette out with vinegar (ie, the plastic tray itself) to stop mould forming. Painting rags with acrylics .... I never use them: instead, I use a thick kitchen roll, of the Bounty type, which I can also use on the painting itself to wipe bits back, or even apply paint. I'm not keen on painting rags because if used with water-based paints they tend to get in the way, and they can soon start to whiff, and with oils they're something of a fire hazard.

Edited
by RobertJones

Alan Owen

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I place a household wet sponge in the middle of my butchers tray palette and slip it into a clear plastic bag( .just a little bit bigger bag not a shopping bag)

Derek Snowdon

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Thanks Robert and Alan. It's all happening right now, sink, hot water and sponge

Phil Kendall

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I'm with Robert a nice clean square of kitchen paper...

Ruth Dolan

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Very interesting to hear what others do. Myself, I have been using the lid of a smaller Masterson palette, putting out small amounts of pigment and replenishing as needed. Then when I pack up I spritz what remains ( usually not much as I only put out a small amount to begin with) and scrape it up onto a paper towel and bin it.

Phil Kendall

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Syd is correct...who wants a smelly rag anyway? Whoops my OCD cut in.

Edited
by philk2

michael

Michael Edwards

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Smelly, dirty, paint encrusted, musty - give me my rag anytime whether it be a bit of old curtain, table cloth, tee shirt or an old pair of underpants - great for wiping brushes, manipulating watercolour - and a great talking point at art groups and demos.