The best Brush cleaners, compared.
Top pick: X ARTY HUB 946 ml cleaner Best value: Polycell 500 ml brush cleaner – Best value as the next dedicated cleaner under £10 with at least 1,000 reviews: about £8.71, 4.4 from 1,968, score 86. Updated October 2026.
A brush cleaner takes paint, varnish or polyurethane off decorating and artist brushes, and sometimes rollers. You separate products by the paint they name, by soap versus solvent, and by whether the maker limits them to wet paint. A cheap solvent is not the same job as a brush soap. Emulsion, acrylic, gouache and watercolour usually wash with water and soap. Alkyd gloss, oil paint, varnish and polyurethane need a solvent, or a product that says it emulsifies those coatings. How to match the cleaner to the paint is in the [brush cleaner buying guide](/hub/painting-supplies/brush-cleaner/sub/brush-cleaner-buying-guide). The six amazon.co.uk listings saved split into four jobs.
A brush cleaner takes paint, varnish or polyurethane off decorating and artist brushes, and sometimes rollers.
22 products checked · 48 hrs invested · +18,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you washing?
The X ARTY HUB cleaner, model XPBC32-EU, is 946 ml at £19.99 and listed at 4.8 from 7 reviews. The bullets name acrylic, gouache, watercolour and airbrush work, and they say the liquid is not for oil-based paints. A soak of four to six hours is only for slightly dried water-based paint, not paint that has been hard for days. Six review texts in the file are all from September 2026 and describe short, recent use. The stored score is 57 because a sample under 20 reviews loses 20 points, so the star line is not a settled result. It is the largest water-based studio bottle in this set if you paint acrylic often and can live with seven ratings.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Regular acrylic or airbrush work when you want a large water-based bottle and will not treat seven reviews as proof.
Less suitable: Oil paint, gloss, or anyone who wants a cleaner backed by hundreds of reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it clean oil paint?
No. The bullets say it is not for oil-based paints.
Will a soak shift hard paint?
The listing allows a 4–6 hour soak for slightly dried water-based paint only, not paint that has been hard for days.
How many reviews are there?
amazon.co.uk shows 4.8 from 7 ratings. Six texts are in the saved listing, and they describe short, recent use.
The Masters 2.5 oz paste, sold as GENERAL'S GP101-BJ, is £13.46 on amazon.co.uk and listed at 4.7 from 2,460 reviews. The bullets name wet and dry oil paint, acrylic, stains, alkyds, gouache, latex and enamel, and they say you use it with water on natural and synthetic brushes. That is a studio soap you lather, not a decorating thinner and not a roller wash. The same file prints 70 ml and 75 ml against the 2.5 oz name, and a soap-free line sits beside a water-lather paste, so the pack copy is not one story. Some of the review texts say ordinary washing-up liquid already does the job, and badly neglected brushes are not guaranteed. It is the top pick in this set because the stored score is 91, from the star line and a large review count, for brushes you already rinse in water.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Artist brushes you already rinse in water, including oil and acrylic, when you want the largest review sample in this set.
Less suitable: Gloss rollers, thinning alkyd paint, or a brush that has been rock-hard for months.
Specifications
Common questions
Which paints does the listing name?
The bullets name wet and dry oil paint, acrylic, stains, alkyds, gouache, latex and enamel, for synthetic and natural brushes.
How do you use it?
The listing says it is for use with water. It does not describe a solvent rinse.
Does the listing say it is non-toxic?
No. The saved listing prints “Is it non-toxic?” as a question and does not answer it.
Bartoline white spirit, part 6282-2, is £5.89 and listed at 4.6 from 2,032 reviews. The bullets call it a degreaser, a thinner and a brush cleaner for alkyd paints, and they do not name emulsion. The title and size field say 500 ml, while the volume field says 0.75 litres and the included-components line says 750 ml, so the fill is not one figure. Hardened brushes are not claimed, and one review says almost three bottles left old brushes unchanged. GOV.UK describes white spirit as a flammable petroleum-hydrocarbon mixture used to clean brushes or thin paint. The stored score is 81, with no badge, because the title is a thinner and the listing prints two volumes. Buy it when the tin says thin with white spirit, and keep the lid on in a ventilated room.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Alkyd gloss or undercoat when the tin says thin with white spirit and you can ventilate the room.
Less suitable: Emulsion, a small unventilated flat, or brushes that have been hard for months.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the bottle 500 ml or 750 ml?
The title and size field say 500 ml. The volume field says 0.75 litres and the included-components line says 750 ml. The saved listing does not settle it.
Which paint does it name?
The bullets name alkyd paints, as a thinner and as a brush and tool cleaner. Emulsion is not named.
Will it restore a hard old brush?
The bullets do not claim that. One review says almost three bottles left old brushes unchanged.
Golden Maple’s UK-XBZ cake is 30 g at £9.99, listed at 4.6 from 4 reviews. The bullets name acrylic, watercolour and oil, plus natural and synthetic bristles, palettes and makeup brushes, and they say you rinse with water after a lather. The listing does not split wet paint from hardened paint. The item-weight line says 110 g, which is heavier than the 30 g cake. Three texts are in the file, and one of them mentions an added smell. The stored score is 54 after the small-sample deduction, so four ratings are a trial next to Masters, not a settled soap ranking.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small trial soap for acrylic, watercolour or oil brushes if you accept four ratings.
Less suitable: A decorating roller, a thinner, or a soap you want backed by thousands of reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Which paints do the bullets name?
Acrylic, watercolour and oil. They also name natural and synthetic bristles, palettes and makeup brushes.
Does the listing cover dried paint?
No. It does not split wet paint from hardened paint.
How strong is the review evidence?
The listing shows 4.6 from 4 ratings, and three texts are in the file. One of them mentions an added smell.
Polycell’s 500 ml bottle, PLCBC500S, is £8.71 and listed at 4.4 from 1,968 reviews. The amazon bullets do not name a paint. The maker’s page describes detergents for most wet paints, including gloss, then a soapy rinse, and claims a better clean than white spirit. In the first 50 review texts, about ten mention a leak in transit, and several describe a lid that was hard or impossible to open. The listing asks whether it removes dried paint and does not answer, so a wet-paint wash is a reviewer habit rather than a written specification. There is no hazard sentence in the captured bullets. It is the best value here: the next dedicated cleaner under £10 with at least 1,000 reviews, at a stored score of 86.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Wet gloss and other decorating brushes when you want a specialist wash under £10 and can check the lid on arrival.
Less suitable: You need a stated hazard line on the listing, a thinner for alkyd paint, or a rescue for paint that is already hard.
Specifications
Common questions
Which paints does the amazon listing name?
The captured bullets do not name a paint. Reviewers describe gloss, including one account of Hammerite, and compare it with white spirit.
What do the reviews complain about?
In the first 50 texts, about ten mention a leak in transit, and several describe a lid that was hard or impossible to open.
Does the listing say it removes dried paint?
It prints the question and does not answer it. Use while the paint is still wet is a reviewer tip, not a specification.
Rustins BRUC300 is 300 ml at £6.64, listed at 4.3 from 48 reviews. The bullets name oil-based paint, varnish and polyurethane, then a rinse in plain water, for brushes and foam or sleeve rollers. They also say water-based paint does not need this cleaner. The 2024 label limits the bottle to wet paint and points hard brushes at Rustins Brush Restorer, which is a different product. Among the eight review texts, more than one mentions a strong smell, and one buyer called the 300 ml bottle dear. The stored score is 75, which follows 48 reviews rather than a large decorating sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A wet oil, varnish or polyurethane brush or roller you will rinse in plain water.
Less suitable: Emulsion, a rock-hard brush, or anyone who wants a large review sample before they buy.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it clean emulsion?
The bullets say water-based paint does not need it. They name oil-based paint, varnish and polyurethane.
Can it clean a roller?
Yes. The bullets name brushes and foam or sleeve rollers, then a rinse in plain water.
What do the eight reviews say?
They say it cleans brushes, including Danish oil, and more than one mentions a strong smell. One buyer called the 300 ml bottle dear.
Six amazon.co.uk listings, with prices saved on 19 October 2026, were scored from the star rating times 15, rounded to the nearest whole number. The score adds 15 at 1,000 reviews or more, adds 5 from 20 to 99 reviews, and subtracts 20 below 20 reviews. It adds 5 when the title is a brush cleaner rather than a thinner, and subtracts 3 when the listing prints two volumes. The top pick is the highest score, once. Best value is the next dedicated cleaner under £10 with at least 1,000 reviews, once. This is not a laboratory test.
Amazon stars
70%The stored score starts from the amazon.co.uk star rating times 15, rounded to the nearest whole number. A 4.7 and a 4.8 are close on stars. The review count decides which of them can lead.
Review count
20%Add 15 at 1,000 reviews or more, add 5 from 20 to 99 reviews, and subtract 20 below 20 reviews. A 4.8 from 7 ratings cannot outrank 4.7 from 2,460.
Cleaner or thinner
5%Add 5 when the title is a brush cleaner rather than a thinner. White spirit stays a solvent you can also use to thin alkyd paint, so it does not take the best-value wash.
One volume on the listing
5%Subtract 3 when the listing prints two volumes. Bartoline states both 500 ml and 750 ml. Masters prints 2.5 oz against millilitre lines that do not match.
Buy the cleaner for the paint on the brush, not for the lowest price. Six amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the saved pages of 19 October 2026. A water-rinse soap, a decorating liquid and white spirit are different jobs. A 4.8 from seven reviews is not the same evidence as 4.7 from 2,460. The top pick and the best value are named from those scores. Neither result is a laboratory test.
A brush cleaner in this set takes paint, varnish or polyurethane off decorating and artist brushes, and sometimes rollers. The six amazon.co.uk listings saved on 19 October 2026 split into four jobs. Artist brush soap is lathered with water. The Masters 2.5 oz paste, listing brand GENERAL'S, model GP101-BJ, is about £13.46 with 4.7 from 2,460 ratings, and the bullets name wet and dry oil, acrylic, alkyd, gouache, latex and enamel.
Emulsion, acrylic, gouache and watercolour usually wash with water and soap. Bartoline’s bullets name alkyd paints and do not name emulsion. Rustins states that water-based paint does not need that cleaner.
Polycell’s page and the Rustins label describe wet paint. Rustins names Brush Restorer, a different product, for hard brushes. Masters and Golden Maple are not a guarantee for every dried brush.
Do not clean skin with solvent, and do not tip used spirit down the sink. Recycle Now treats paint thinner and white spirit as hazardous waste. Call 999 in an emergency. The National Poisons Information Service number on the Rustins sheet, for health professionals, is 0344 892 0111.
Paint chemistry is the first check. Emulsion, acrylic, gouache and watercolour usually wash with water and soap. Alkyd gloss, oil paint, varnish and polyurethane need a solvent or a product that says it emulsifies those coatings. X ARTY HUB states it is not for oil-based paints. Rustins states oil-based paint, varnish and polyurethane, and that water-based paint does not need it. Bartoline’s bullets name alkyd paints and also call the bottle a thinner.
Wet paint versus hardened paint is the second check. Polycell’s page and Rustins’ label both describe wet paint. Rustins names Brush Restorer, a different product, for hard brushes. Masters’ instructions describe a longer sit for dried oil. That is a listing claim, not a promise that every rock-hard brush comes back. The X ARTY HUB soak of four to six hours is for slightly dried water-based paint, not paint that has been hard for days. Golden Maple does not split wet paint from hardened paint.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a 300–500 ml decorating liquid for wet gloss or undercoat. Polycell 500 ml is about £8.71, with 4.4 from 1,968 reviews. The maker’s page describes detergents for most wet paints, including gloss, then a soapy rinse. About ten of the first 50 texts mention a leak in transit.
You rinse artist brushes in water. The Masters 2.5 oz paste is about £13.46, with 4.7 from 2,460 reviews, and the bullets name acrylic among other coatings. The X ARTY HUB 946 ml bottle is about £19.99 and is not for oil, but it has 7 reviews.
The tin says thin with white spirit, and you can ventilate the room. Bartoline white spirit is about £5.89, with 4.6 from 2,032 reviews, for alkyd paints. The file prints both 500 ml and 750 ml. It does not name emulsion, and it does not claim hardened brushes.
The top pick is The Masters 2.5 oz paste at about £13.46. It is the highest score, 91, from 4.7 and 2,460 amazon.co.uk reviews, for a water-rinse soap whose bullets name wet and dry oil, acrylic and other coatings. The volume lines disagree, and it is not a roller cleaner. The best value is Polycell 500 ml at about £8.71: a dedicated cleaner under £10 with 4.4 from 1,968 reviews, score 86. About ten of the first 50 texts mention a leak, and the amazon bullets do not name a paint. The £5.89 white spirit is not best value for a wash, because it is also a thinner. None of these scores is a laboratory test.
Polycell 500 ml brush cleaner
Best value as the next dedicated cleaner under £10 with at least 1,000 reviews: about £8.71, 4.4 from 1,968, score 86.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 19 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines saved on 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
