John Mangano: Double the life of your paintbrushes, to ensure you get a life time use out of paintbrushes, clean them immediately after use before the paint has a chance to dry.

First, start by removing excess paint on the rim of your paint container. Stick the brush into a bucket of warm water. Move the brush around to remove as much paint as possible.

Next, hold the brush under running water, run a wire brush or a kitchen fork down the bristles to remove dry paint, especially near the handle. Dry excess water with a paper towel, let each paint brush air dry, then wrap it with a cardboard cover it came with, or a heavy paper like a grocery bag.

To easily identify the brush for the next use, write the style and type on the bag cover. To keep the bristles straight hang the brushes from a nail or hook, or store them flat. We have easy solutions here at the homestagingchannel.com.