wybnormal thank you! I do not beat my brushes as well. They behave well. I do pretty much the same: towel, dip into thinner and then more towel, rinse in thinner, wash with laundry soap till water is clear, shape and dry. I used baby oil to condition natural bristles after washed once in a month or for long breaks.
I tried to wash with cheap soy oil to avoid paint thinners, but it turns it is somewhat semi drying oil and after that oil it still needs water and laundry soap.
I use mostly synthetic brushes and they are quite forgiving. In the worst case I will put them in kitchen degreaser for couple of hours and they come out clean.
I do all of this due to having no access to better art and art maintenance supplies.
Also in the home builders store there is no variety of paint thinners over here and one which is available has more aromatics hydrocarbons in it, meaning more danger for the health.