I have to make a confession; when I started painting with Bob, I beat my brushes. I didn't know any better. It's OK though, the brushes are in therapy and getting better. Here is how I saved them.
After painting I give them a good rinse in mineral spirits and shake off the excess. Next I wash them with a mixture of oil, dish soap and water (Tom Anderson recipe). I give them a good dry with a old, beat up, extremely soft t-shirt. Here's what they look like after:
The trick I use to get them back in shape is baby socks. I use newborn size socks with the highest cotton content I can find. I either snip a hole in the closed end or just cut it off. The brush slips in one end, and out the other.
For the 1 inch brush, give the sock a good length wise stretch. The sock gently holds the bristles in shape while they dry. The cotton content is important because it will wick moisture out of the brush. If I am not painting the next day, I put them in the storage drawer with the socks on for protection. When I take them out to paint this is what they look like:
Hope it helps someone as much as it has me.
Article update: Since posting this I have learned and tested "Soilove" that Nancy recommended. Soilove is a laundry stain remover. You can buy it on Amazon and other web sites and it is inexpensive (compared to brush cleaning solutions). It is a simple short soak procedure that removes paint that you never knew was there. The brushes come out nearly new!
Great article Tomi! I had no problem to have my smaller brushes keep their shapes. But my 1" and bigger, I never could! This is such a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing! Very helpful!