Art is a racket.
Selling art, buying art, making art. It all sucks. Art stores are a racket. Why does every art supply have a list price that is approximately 128% higher than the advertised price the art store is willing to price that item?
It’s a frustrating business, and there are lots of products that are made just to prey on stupid artists with too much money (usually the young or the old, or the ones who are far too successful for their own good). The worst of all the useless, overpriced things you can find in an art store are these horrible things. Never trust anybody nor buy anything from anybody who has one of those mannequins in their studio.
So, I’m not here to bitch about overpriced or useless art supplies. Instead, I’m here to sing the praises of one of the most indispensable products I use on a regular basis in my studio. I also encourage all of you to run out and purchase some today!
Dawn Platinum Dish Detergent
Simply put, Dawn Platinum dish detergent is every painter’s dream when it comes to cleaning brushes. It’s cheap, readily available everywhere, and does its job miraculously!
My friend Dan turned me on to the power of this dish soap way back around 2013. He used it to clean metal, and I noticed how well it remove dried on paint from brushes. Dan was worried about the product though. He even stocked up a few extra bottles in his studio. It worked so good, Dan opined, it was just a matter of time the government would ban it for some reason.
Ridiculous paranoia aside, this does work tremendously! A little dab in the palm of my hand is all that’s needed to run the dried out brush. It’s safe enough to use on your bare skin! Without any harsh abrasives, it still does its job to remove the oil from the bristles. When its done, the bristles are amazingly soft and conditioned.
It’s not too shocking the Dawn Platinum works so well on icky hardened oil brushes. It’s also the preferred soap of choice at oil spills. Thanks BP and Exxon and all you other safety first oil companies, you’ve helped engineer the best soaps to get out oil!
Once again, I can’t endorse this particular soap enough! Go on out and try some today!
Another Household Use!
As a coda to the story of this amazing product, it’s a great cleaner as well – just pour some into a cup on vinegar and use it to scrub away grease and keep your counters and stove tops clean!