Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner & Conditioner Review

Updated Oct 9, 2024 | Posted Jul 9, 2024 | Matt, Sundries | 3 comments

Every once in a while, I’m asked to review a product that doesn’t fit into any of the obvious decorating categories; It’s not paint, and you don’t use it to help you apply paint, or to prepare the surface for painting.   Yet, having used Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner & Conditioner for the past two or three weeks in my role as a professional decorator, I can see why many other decorators are falling in love with it.

It’s a brush cleaner and conditioner which is made in the USA and distributed in the UK by Axus Décor. This is my Pretty Boy Cleaner & Conditioner review.

 

What You Need to Know about Pretty Boy

 

  • It helps break down water-based paints, stains and primers on brushes, rollers, kettles etc.
  • Makes cleaning of all painting tools easier.
  • Conditions brushes and rollers, keeping them feeling softer for longer.
  • Gentle on skin, so it’s also great for hand cleaning.
  • Also helps with wallpaper removal.
  • Eco friendly – all the surfactants (cleansing agents) used are biodegradable.
  • Available from Amazon by clicking here, or elsewhere online. Click here to see online prices.

 

My Pretty Boy Review in More Detail

 

It’s funny. This is one of those little products which is never going to set the world alight, and yet now I’ve used it I wouldn’t want to be without it. I think every decorator will be using Pretty Boy before long.

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Brush and Roller Cleaning

It definitely makes this job easier and quicker. It doesn’t do the job for you, you still need to put some effort in, but if you follow the instructions, it softens the paint, making it easier to remove.

It’s designed to work with water-based paints (not oil-based); often if you’ve been working with emulsion or water-based satin (for example) all day, there will be places on your brushes where the paint has started to dry and is going to be harder to remove.  Rub some Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner into the brush, leave to soak for a few minutes, and then clean as normal. The paint lifts away more easily and quickly.

 

Conditioning

Brushes and roller sleeves feel nice and soft after cleaning with Pretty Boy.  If they’re cleaner and softer, they’re going to last longer, so in theory that saves you money.

 

Wallpaper Stripping

Add some Pretty Boy to the water you’re using to mist the wallpaper with. Leave it to soak in for 10-15 minutes, and it comes away much more easily.

 

Hand Cleansing

Pretty Boy is great when you’re cleaning your hands. It definitely helps remove dried paint and caulk and is gentle to skin.

 

General kit cleaning (kettles, scuttles etc)

Leave to soak in a dilute solution of Pretty Boy to help soften dried on paint. It works a treat!

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Review Summary

Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner & Conditioner Review - Decorator's forum UK

Professional Decorator Robin Gofton writes a full and honest Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner & Conditioner review after using it at work.

Product Brand: Axus

Editor's Rating:
4.4

Pros

  • Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner & Conditioner does exactly what it says on the tin. You dilute it with water and then use it for the clean-up when decorating.
  • Gentle on skin.
  • Helps dissolve wallpaper paste when stripping wallpaper.
  • Helps keep your painting tools clean and soft.
  • Great for washing your skin.
  • Eco friendly.

Cons

  • You can cope without it, but it does make life easier.
  • Fairly pricey.

FAQs

 

How do you use paint brush cleaner and conditioner?

If you’re using a water-based brush cleaner like Pretty Boy, then all you need to do is dilute it with water, and then work the brush cleaner into the bristles. Dip your brush into the solution and press it up and down against the bottom of the container. This draws the solution into the brush where it is most effective.

 

What’s the best thing to clean paint brushes with?

Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner & Conditioner is genuinely the best thing to clean paint brushes with. You’ll speed the process, get your brushes cleaner than they otherwise would be, and condition the bristles.

 

Can you use washing up liquid to clean paint brushes?

Yes, washing up liquid works when cleaning paint brushes. The bubbles force paint from the bristles, which speeds things up. However, Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner & Conditioner is better.

 

Do Pro Painters clean their brushes?

Most Painters and Decorators clean their brushes at the end of every job. After all, brushes are expensive. That said, Some painting jobs, like rough masonry or garden fences wreck paint brushes. So, we tend to buy a cheaper brush on those occasions, use it for that one job, and then bin it off.

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Final Thoughts

 

Pretty Boy will make the mundane everyday jobs that nobody likes a little bit quicker and easier – wallpaper stripping, brush cleaning, etc.  And who doesn’t want those tasks made quicker and easier?

On top of that, if it keeps brushes and roller sleeves cleaner and softer for longer, then they last longer and so in the long run it saves you money as well as a little bit of time and effort.  Sometimes it’s the simple things in life….

Updated Oct 9, 2024 | Posted Jul 9, 2024 | 3 comments

About the Author

About the Author

With years of decorating experience, Robin set up his own business – Wokingham Decorating Services – in 2007, carrying out mainly domestic work. He enjoys trying out new products and learning as much as he can about the decorating industry

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3 Comments

  1. Phil

    I just use a drop of virosol or if I don’t have any, a bit of fairy liquid will do the same job for everything described above. Don’t fall into the trap of wasting your ever-more hard earned money on things like this.

    Reply
    • Mike Cupit

      I think you’re getting a little bit mixed up somewhere Phil. Virosol is a citrus cleaner. It dissolves water-based paint, but you wouldn’t use it to clean your hands, condition your brushes, or dissolve wallpaper paste. You could use washing up liquid to clean your hands or thicken water when stripping wallpaper paste, but it doesn’t dissolve water-based paint. Three different products with different uses.

      Reply
      • Phil

        Fair comment Mike, unless someone gave me a bit to try for free I think I’d save my money. There are alot of non-necessary products on the market these days and as we all know it’s getting difficult to keep costs down. I actually do think Virosol has a positive effect on my brushes, if I soak them over a weekend they come out lovely and lively, never had a problem using it to clean my hands. (I mean, we used to use white spirit to clean our hands back in the oil based days!) As for helping strip wallpaper, I was told Fairy liquid 30 years ago and I’ve never felt the need to use anything else, as long as it holds the moisture on the wall then I’m happy. Don’t get me wrong, if it works – it works, but just not for me mate.

        Reply

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