How Can I Reuse Nail Polish Brushes?
Classic tapered brush with an easy-grip cylinder handle for detail work or full nail swipes. Perfect for detail work and full nail swipes.
Carefully rinse out and store your brushes after each use with non-acetone nail polish remover, as well as adding Mitty Cuticle Juice to keep their bristles super soft and supple.
Remove the bristles
Careful brush maintenance is essential, particularly if using them over an extended period of time. Proper care of brushes includes regular brush cleaning to avoid product build-up on their bristles and dry, brittle bristles; therefore it’s vital that after every use, and before storage, they’re given proper attention and cleaning is carried out using various methods; one method being using monomer liquid in salons to create acrylic nails as it is gentler than traditional nail polish removers such as Acetone.
Regular wiping will keep your brushes in good condition, but may not be sufficient for stubborn product build-up. To use an intensive process to clear away product build-up from clogging brushes, pour some monomer in a small, heavy dappen dish and immerse only part of your bristle into it before gently rubbing them in circular motion against one another in order to dislodge clumps and residue from them.
Once your bristles have dried, rinse them off under running water before reshaping them to their original containers. If any have lost their shape, using some Mitty cuticle juice may help restore them; made from 100% Australian organic certified oil and gentle on bristles!
To prevent your nail art brushes from drying out, it’s essential that they are washed after every use with mild soapie water and Mitty cuticle juice. Allow them to air-dry flat before storing them in a cool, dark location away from dust. Also avoid direct sunlight as UV rays may cause their bristles to crack or break – for repairs when one breaks, simply put some glue on one end of a toothpick blunt end and insert part way up its hollow stem.
Clean the bristles
Clean nail brushes are one of the cornerstones of success for nail technicians. Dirty brushes can make it harder for technicians to create eye-catching designs with precision movements and may clog over time, hindering control. Therefore, clean your brush after each service so as to avoid contamination of new colors/gel polishes with existing product from previous services; this process should only require minimal supplies for success.
For best results when cleaning acrylic brushes, pour a few drops of nail polish thinner into a plastic cup and dip your dirty brush in it, stirring as necessary so all bristles are submerged in liquid. Do not attempt to use an acetone-containing nail polish remover as this could compromise bristle strength and cause them to fall out, instead use a commercial polish remover without acetone as this will be more suitable.
Once your brush has been thoroughly drained, rinse it in water before placing it horizontally on a towel to dry naturally. If it’s extremely dirty, repeat this process as often as necessary until its drying cycle completes itself.
Maintain a small dish of monomer in your station as this can also help clean bristles effectively. Pour some monomer in and allow your brushes to soak for at least 8 hours; longer soak times allow monomer to seep into any dried or hardened paints and gels on them more thoroughly.
Monomer can provide an effective alternative to brush cleaners without containing acetone. Simply soak a lint-free wipe with monomer and use it to wipe down the bristles in a soft pinch motion to get your brushes clean.
If you are working with heavy-duty products such as glitter or acrylic paint, such as glitter adhesive, you may require longer to soak your brush to loosen up and manage them more easily. Doing this may help make for easier application of product.
Cleaning your nail brushes between services and before storing them back will prevent them from becoming clogged with hardened paint or clustered acrylics, and allow you to get maximum use out of each one – and help create stunning designs every time!
Reshape the bristles
If your favorite nail polish brush has become flat over time, don’t throw it out; simply reshape its bristles for easy and inexpensive repair! Simply pour some water in a shallow dish or bowl, dip your brush in it until its bristles are damp, then reshape them using either your fingers or medium low heat from base to tip by blow-drying on medium low heat; this process will reshape them and prevent them from drying out or losing shape.
Monomer (acrylic liquid mixed with pigment), often found in many nail polish removers, can also be an alternative. Monomer is gentler on nail brush bristles than its acetone-based counterpart, helping them last longer than before. You can find monomer in most beauty or art supply stores. Furthermore, vertical brush holders will keep all your brushes in their proper positions as you work.
Once your brushes have been reshaped, they’ll be ready for use again. Be sure to clean them first before storing them – and wait for them to completely dry before doing so.
When not in use, be sure to store your brushes in a dark box or one with a lid to protect them from sunlight and prevent their bristles from becoming dry or falling off.
Brushes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are flat brushes designed to draw long strokes, round brushes for filling backgrounds or blending colours, as well as specialty tools that let you create dots or pull them into other shapes.
If your brushes have become too flat to use, try reshaping them by blow-drying on medium low heat from the brush base to tip for 30-90 seconds on medium-low heat, before gently shaping the bristles by hand or pressing them into a book. For an added soft and smooth touch, add Mitty Cuticle Juice cuticle oil before each use of these bristles.
Dry the bristles
An unclean brush will fail to create stunning nail designs, so it is vital that it be regularly cleaned with either a lint-free wipe or damp paper towel. Monomer or acrylic nail liquid cleaners may also provide gentler solutions than acetone for cleaning purposes.
To properly clean a nail art brush, place a small amount of monomer in a shallow dish like a clear base gel holder or dappen dish and dip your brush in it, making sure that its entire handle including where its bristles meet its stem has been coated in monomer; this will help eliminate any dried acrylic that has clumped.
Next, carefully rinse the brush under running water to remove all monomer from its bristles and allow it to dry thoroughly before reshaping its bristles and placing it upright into an acrylic case or nail art kit with a lid to prevent dust accumulation on it.
If you want to reuse your nail polish brushes, consider assigning each task a different color or type of brush so they won’t become overwhelmed with too many products. Labelling each one will also help remind you what they are for.
Prior to using any new nail art brush, it’s essential to clean it down using a lint-free wipe and monomer or acrylic nail liquid. This will ensure your brush is both sanitary and ready for use; using the same brush for every task may result in messy results; for optimal results it is best to dedicate different brushes for different applications; such as white base coat, topcoat and glitter nail polish applications. You should also clean and condition each brush prior to storing in a dark space, perhaps adding some base gel polish base so it stays soft while staying usable for future use!
