Joanna Gaines Explains The One Paintbrush Mistake That Will Make The Bristles Fall Out

Aug 19, 2023

Transforming your home with a fresh coat of paint is an easy project to DIY. Anyone, no matter how much home renovation experience they have, can use the right techniques to get a professional look without hiring a painting service. Maintaining your brushes is a pro tip that all DIYers can employ for a perfect paint job every time, and it starts with putting the right amount of paint on the brush.

Joanna Gaines from HGTV's "Fixer Upper" and Magnolia Network's "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home" warns against a common mistake that'll ruin your brushes. "You're going to dip it into the paint, but one thing to remember is that you don't want to dip the brush all the way up to this metal part, which they call the ferrule," Gaines explains in a YouTube video. "Once paint gets underneath here, this is when the bristles actually fall out; it also makes cleanup a lot harder."

A little bit of paint underneath the ferrule one time won't immediately make the bristles come out of the paintbrush. However, over time, once the paint dries or builds up, it can affect the adhesive and make the bristles begin to fall out. Buildup can also make the bristles spread out, which can negatively affect how clean your paint lines are.

While it may seem like the best way to ensure coverage on the wall is to load up the brush with paint, over-dipping may actually be ruining your paintbrushes in the long run. Joanna Gaines explains that you only need a small dip. "Remember only about an inch," the designer stresses in the YouTube video. Putting the brush about an inch down into the paint will be plenty for your paint job. This small dip also ensures that no paint gets underneath the ferrule, which could cause the bristles to fall out and effectively ruin the brush.

When cleaning the paintbrush, you also want to be mindful of the ferrule. When rinsing the brush under the faucet, hold the bristles downwards to avoid getting water or paint in the ferrule. It's also essential not to use scalding hot water, which can cause the ferrule to loosen and lead to bristle loss. Instead, lukewarm or even cool water mixed with liquid dish soap is the best way to clean a paintbrush after you've finished painting. Additionally, if your paintbrushes have hardened over time, soak them in vinegar to bring them back to life.