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White spirit or brush cleaner

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have finished a gloss door, the brush is still loaded, and the cupboard holds Bartoline white spirit next to a specialist wash. White spirit or brush cleaner splits into two jobs, even when the bottles sit side by side. Spirit thins alkyd paint and it will also clean an oil-based brush. A specialist liquid or a soap only washes. The Products Compared editorial team used the amazon.co.uk listings stored on 19 October 2026 on the [brush cleaner comparison](/hub/painting-supplies/brush-cleaner). We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices here are that GBP snapshot.

You have finished a gloss door, the brush is still loaded, and the cupboard holds Bartoline white spirit next to a specialist wash.

Our top picks

Bartoline Bartoline white spirit

Best overall

Bartoline Bartoline white spirit
8.1/10about £5.89
View offer
POLYCELL Polycell 500 ml brush cleaner

Best value

POLYCELL Polycell 500 ml brush cleaner
8.6/10about £8.71
View offer
Rustins Rustins 300 ml brush cleaner

Alternative

Rustins Rustins 300 ml brush cleaner
7.5/10about £6.64
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When white spirit is the tool
  2. 2.When a specialist cleaner is the tool
  3. 3.One recommendation with a condition
  4. 4.Smell and flames in a small flat

When white spirit is the tool

White spirit is the tool when the tin tells you to thin alkyd gloss or varnish. GOV.UK describes it as flammable petroleum hydrocarbons, used to clean brushes or thin paint. On the stored amazon.co.uk snapshot, Bartoline B005EFUSQW was £5.89 and carried 4.6 from 2,032 ratings. The bullets call it a degreaser, a thinner and a brush cleaner for alkyd paints. The title says 500 ml and the technical block says 750 ml, so the fill line on the bottle is the figure that counts. A soap cannot thin the tin. Masters and Golden Maple are water-lather soaps. Rustins emulsifies wet oil-based paint and is not sold as a thinner. On a wet alkyd brush, spirit is still a solvent. Which? Trusted Traders uses a jar, then a water rinse, and says not to pour it away. UKHSA notes that explosive vapour and air mixtures may form above 21 °C. One review said almost three bottles failed to restore old hard brushes.

When a specialist cleaner is the tool

A specialist cleaner earns its place when the brush is wet and you are not thinning the tin. Polycell B000TAY0YI was £8.71, with 4.4 from 1,968 ratings. Polycell’s page claims detergents for most wet paints, including gloss, then a soapy rinse, and a better clean than white spirit. That is the maker’s claim. The amazon.co.uk bullets do not name the paint. Some reviews prefer it on gloss, and others describe leaks and stiff lids. Rustins B0058G1AXC was £6.64, with 4.3 from 48 ratings. It emulsifies wet oil-based paint, varnish and polyurethane, then you rinse with water. A 2024 label says it is flammable, can cause serious eye damage, and is for wet paint only. A water rinse does not cancel that label. Emulsion should skip spirit. The wider shortlist stays on the brush cleaner buying guide.
Bartoline Bartoline white spirit

Testsieger

Bartoline Bartoline white spirit
8.1/10about £5.89
View offer

One recommendation with a condition

Buy Bartoline when the tin says thin with white spirit, or when you are cleaning a wet alkyd brush in a room you can ventilate. Buy Polycell, Rustins or a water-lather soap when the only job is washing a wet brush. Spirit is a poor economy for a sink wash. A soap is a poor saving if the gloss still needs thinning. A soap will not revive bristles that have already gone hard.

Smell and flames in a small flat

Above 21 °C, UKHSA says vapour and air can form an explosive mixture, so an open jar stays off the hob and off a heater, and spirit stays off your hands. Rustins is also labelled flammable. Keep a window open and the lid on, as the Health and Safety Executive advises. The rinse and the waste are on how to clean paint brushes.

Common questions

When is white spirit the right buy?
White spirit is the right buy when you have to thin alkyd gloss or varnish, and when a brush still holds wet oil-based paint. Bartoline B005EFUSQW is listed for that alkyd work, at £5.89 on the 19 October 2026 snapshot. It is a weak buy for a water wash, for emulsion, or for bristles that have been hard for a long time. One review said nearly three bottles did not restore old hard brushes.
When is Polycell or Rustins the better wash?
Polycell or Rustins is the better wash when the brush is still wet and you are not about to thin the paint. Polycell’s page claims a detergent clean for most wet paints, including gloss, at £8.71 from 1,968 ratings. Rustins is aimed at wet oil-based paint, varnish and polyurethane, at £6.64 from 48 ratings. Polycell’s leak and stiff-lid reviews are the catch. Rustins still carries a flammable label and a warning of serious eye damage.
Is white spirit safe on emulsion brushes?
White spirit is the wrong liquid on an emulsion brush. Emulsion is water-based, and Which? Trusted Traders points you to soap and water. The Bartoline listing is described for alkyd work. You add a flammable solvent to a job the sink can finish. Use a soap or a cleaner whose instructions name water-based paint, and keep the spirit for the alkyd tin.
Why do Polycell reviews say it beats white spirit?
Some Polycell reviews say the wash is kinder on gloss than white spirit, on wet paint, with a rinse. Polycell’s page claims the liquid is better than white spirit. That claim is the maker’s, and the reviews are not a lab. Other reviews on the same listing describe leaks and stiff lids. Read both before you treat 4.4 from 1,968 ratings as a single verdict.
Is Bartoline white spirit definitely 500 ml?
The listing does not settle the fill. The title on B005EFUSQW says 500 ml and the technical block says 750 ml. Both figures were on the stored amazon.co.uk page. At £5.89 and 4.6 from 2,032 ratings, the price is clear and the volume is the open point. Check the bottle when it arrives rather than assuming the larger figure.

Related pages

Best brush cleaner

Brush cleaner

Best paint brush cleaner: which bottle for the tin

Dried paint on a brush: slightly set or fully hard

How to clean paint brushes: soap, spirit or liquid

Sources

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.

  1. GOV.UK, White spirit: general information (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. UKHSA, White spirit incident management (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE, Solvents in construction (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Polycell, Brush cleaner (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Rustins, Brush cleaner (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Recycle Now, Paint (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. British Coatings Federation, How to clean paintbrushes (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Which? Trusted Traders, Cleaning paint brushes and rollers (retrieved 19 October 2026)