Green Stuff World Brush Cleaner

I wouldn’t normally review this kind of thing, but I’ve found it so good I just had to share.

I came across Green Stuff World’s brush cleaner and preserver soap by accident. I normally use The Master’s, but here in the UK it’s a little on the expensive side, and as it’s like a hard paste (literally like a bar of soap) I’ve never found it particularly easy to use. I was placing an order for something or other and the Green Stuff World cleaner popped up in a search; as I knew I was running short I decided to add it to my order.

It comes in a 17ml dropper bottle, is a liquid soap – so much easier to use – and at £2.69, a bargain.

I’m sure we all have our own way of cleaning brushes, but here’s how I’ve been using this particular cleaner.

First off, it’s so easy to use that I’ve been cleaning my brushes with it every time I change paint, rather than at the end of a session like I would when using The Master’s.

I put a few drops in the well of dry palette. When I’ve finished with the paint I dip the brush in water and then remove the excess with paper towel. Then coat the bristles in the cleaner and lather it up in the palm of my hand.

Creating the lather is the important bit, as this captures all the bits of paint left within the brush – as you will see as it changes colour. Back into water to remove the dirty foam and if the brush was particularly dirty I’ll repeat the process. When the lather remains nice and bright you know the brush is clean. At this point, if it is the end of the session, I’ll just remove the excess foam with a paper towel and draw the brush into a fine point – job done!

I’ve cleaned both natural and synthetic brushes with this stuff – acrylic paint, though it does say it works with oils too – and I’ve been amazed with the results.

My older brushes have returned to a state approaching brand new, with nice pointed tips that last through the session. Even my bogey brush, a Citadel medium Artificer that splayed as soon as you added paint, is behaving itself.

I’ve found it especially good at cleaning out metallic paint and you can see it grab hold of the flecks as soon as you dip the brush in – just remember not to dip a non-metallic brush in afterwards!

And finally, unlike Vallejo paints, the dropper bottle is sealed so don’t try and squeeze the life out of it (I wonder who did that 🤔), just pierce the tip of the nozzle.