How To Clean A Brush: R&F Soy Wax

Our latest YouTube video is a demo on how to clean your encaustic paintbrushes using R&F soy wax. Artists ask us what soy wax is for all the time. In this brief video, we share a few tips and easy to follow steps to help you get started.

Some painters prefer to let their brushes cool and harden after use, designating them to certain colors. If you have dozens of brushes, this is a handy solution. But say you only have a dozen brushes, or you are limited in the number of size brushes you have, or you’re traveling to a workshop or residency and can’t bring all your brushes with you. It’s helpful to have a product that will allow you to change colors quickly and easily. R&F soy wax is an excellent product that you can use to safely clean your brushes in just minutes.

Soy wax offers an excellent alternative to paraffin for cleaning brushes. Soy beans are a renewable resource, unlike paraffin which is a petroleum product. Soy wax is non-toxic and naturally biodegradable. It is also easy to remove. After the color has been cleaned out of your brush, the brush can be washed with soap and water to return the bristles to a soft state.

TIP: Make sure to squeegee out as much of the encaustic paint in your warmed brush as you can before adding soy wax. A Princeton Catalyst Wedge is a handy tool to use for squeegeeing paint, as well as manipulating paint on the surface of your palette.

R&F soy wax is available in convenient 1 lb., 5 lb., and 10 lb. bags.