Yesterday's topic covered disposition of unused paint.  Today I would like to provide some tips regarding cleaning paint brushes after completion of a painting project. 

Before getting into this in detail I would like to mention that you can prevent a brush (or roller) from going dry for up to a week without cleaning by wrapping it tightly in a plastic bag.  Squeeze out the air pockets and store in a dark place.

When you are finished painting you should eliminate excess paint from the brush(es) by applying brush strokes on an old newspaper.  Once this is completed then you can wash out excess water in an inside sink.  This presumes that your used water goes to a water treatment plant.  

For oil-based paint, wash out the brush(es) in a container with thinners.  The thinners should be saved and re-used.  When you need to dispose of the thinners then take them to a hazardous waste disposal site.

Here are some other tips.  Non-toxic citrus oil based solvents are now available for cleaning brushes of oil-based paint.  Citra-Solve is one brand name.  If you let the paint harden on the brush then boil white vinegar either on the stove or microwave oven.  Then let the paint brush sit in the vinegar overnight.

I recently discovered a paint brush called Envirobrush on the internet (I have no business interest in this product).   http://www.envirobrush.com/home.htm

The brush has removable bristles and appears to have many environment friendly advantages.  Although I have not tried using this brush it appears to be well-received by users.