FAQ
PROFESSIONAL PAINT BRUSH CLEANING FAQ
How does Lavabrush work and save water?
Lavabrush cleans a paint brush in about 30 seconds and cleans 7–15 brushes using only 1.5 litres of water. Compared with conventional cleaning under running water, our test data shows that water use can be reduced by up to 99%.
A professional painter can avoid using around 200 litres of fresh water per week for brush cleaning. Just as importantly, Lavabrush keeps paint-contaminated wash water contained, so the small volume can be collected and handled in accordance with local requirements instead of being continuously diluted into the wastewater stream.
One painter’s daily routine may seem small, but professional painters work in every city and country. When many painters make the same change, individual water savings and better control of paint residue add up to meaningful global impact.
Follow our step-by-step guide to cleaning paint brushes professionally.
See our detailed analysis of how much water paint-brush cleaning uses.
Why Lavabrush?
Lavabrush gives professional painters a faster, cleaner and more controlled way to wash water-based paint from brushes. It cleans a brush in about 30 seconds, uses only 1.5 litres of water for 7–15 brushes and can reduce water use by up to 99% compared with conventional cleaning under running water.
Containing the wash water helps prevent paint residue from being dispersed through a continuously running wastewater stream, while thorough cleaning helps painters care for the brushes they rely on. Every painter who changes their daily cleaning routine makes a measurable contribution; adopted across the global painting industry, those individual choices can create substantial collective impact.Lavabrush gives professional painters a faster, cleaner and more controlled way to wash water-based paint from brushes. It cleans a brush in about 30 seconds, uses only 1.5 litres of water for 7–15 brushes and can reduce water use by up to 99% compared with conventional cleaning under running water.
Containing the wash water helps prevent paint residue from being dispersed through a continuously running wastewater stream, while thorough cleaning helps painters care for the brushes they rely on. Every painter who changes their daily cleaning routine makes a measurable contribution; adopted across the global painting industry, those individual choices can create substantial collective impact.
Where is Lavabrush made?
Lavabrush is developed, designed and engineered by Swedes and in Sweden. We are proud of the technical geniuses, the technical resources and the amazing local manufacturers of components.
Most of all we value their commitment, to finding both smart and environmentally sound and friendly solutions on our Lavabrush journey.
What about the water in the paint brush cleaner?
Lavabrush contains the paint-contaminated wash water in the machine instead of sending a continuous flow down the drain. After cleaning 7–15 brushes, the approximately 1.5 litres of used water can be collected and handled in accordance with local rules for paint-contaminated water and residue.
This controlled approach dramatically reduces the volume of water used and makes the remaining paint residue easier to manage responsibly. Always follow the disposal guidance issued by your municipality, waste contractor or workplace.
How many brushes can I clean before it needs maintenance?
Our machine is built to last under rough construction site conditions and it is made to clean brushes every day all year long.
In our own testing we have cleaned several thousand brushes, without problems.
Should you experience issues or problems you are always free to reach out to our support.
Where can I buy Lavabrush?
Lavabrush is available directly from our online store and through selected professional dealers and distributors. Visit our Partners page to find a local supplier, or contact us if you need help ordering for your market.
How is the brush affected when it is washed?
Everyone knows that a brush only gets better with time, and with Lavabrush, the brush stays clean but moist, making it perfect for the next painting session. Thoroughly cleaning the brush after each painting (10-15 seconds) ensures that no old paint residue remains, which extends the brush's lifespan, lowering costs, and benefiting the environment.
Are there any other advantages to the Lavabrush paint brush washer?
Yes. In addition to reducing water use by up to 99%, Lavabrush cleans a brush in about 30 seconds, provides consistent professional cleaning and keeps paint-contaminated wash water contained. It can also help extend the useful life of quality brushes by making thorough cleaning faster and easier at the end of the working day.
For an individual painter, that means less time at the sink, around 200 litres less fresh water used per week for brush cleaning and better control of paint residue. Across a company—or across the global painting trade—the combined effect grows with every painter who adopts the system.
Can you mix different colors/shades?
Yes, no problem, but stronger shades may require more frequent water changes.
Can Lavabrush wash paint rollers?
No, not with this equipment.
How large brushes can you wash?
You can wash anything from the smallest to large facade brushes. As long as they fit through the opening, it's possible.
Does Lavabrush work with round or oval brushes as well?
Yes, Lavabrush has developed a special feature in the Brush Washer specifically for round brushes, allowing for efficient cleaning of round brushes.
People often talk about the payback time for an investment; what does that look like for the Brush Washer?
The return depends on labour costs, cleaning frequency, water costs and the value of the brushes being maintained. Lavabrush reduces the time spent cleaning each brush to about 30 seconds and allows 7–15 brushes to be cleaned with only 1.5 litres of water. It can also support longer brush life through regular, thorough cleaning.
For professional painters and painting companies, the value is created through saved working time, lower water use, better care of tools and controlled handling of paint-contaminated wash water. Calculate the payback using your own number of painters, brushes cleaned per week and local costs.
Does Lavabrush contribute to any of the UN's environmental goals in Agenda 2030?
Lavabrush supports the direction of several UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and Goal 14 (Life Below Water). It does this by reducing water used for brush cleaning by up to 99%, containing paint-contaminated wash water and helping painters care for tools for longer.
A single professional painter can avoid using around 200 litres of fresh water per week for brush cleaning. When that individual contribution is repeated across companies and across the global painting industry, it becomes a meaningful collective response to water use and paint pollution.
Is the Lavabrush patented?
Yes, it has international protection, unique and the only one of its kind in the world.
ABOUT POLLUTION FROM PAINT
Frequently asked questions
How much water can we save from contamination with Lavabrush?
Lavabrush can reduce the water used for professional paint-brush cleaning by up to 99%. It cleans 7–15 brushes with only 1.5 litres of water, while a professional painter can otherwise use around 200 litres of fresh water per week for brush cleaning.
Every painter who switches to contained cleaning makes a measurable contribution: less fresh water is consumed and far less paint-contaminated wash water is produced. Multiplied across painting companies, cities and countries, this individual action can address a problem of genuinely global scale.
Why is washing paint brushes under running water harmful to the environment?
Running water uses a large volume of fresh water and carries diluted paint residue into the wastewater system. Water-based paint is still paint: it contains polymer binders, pigments, fillers and additives that should not be treated as ordinary household wastewater.
Because professional painters clean brushes repeatedly, the effect is cumulative. Containing the wash water at source reduces water use and makes the remaining paint residue easier to collect and handle responsibly. Lavabrush enables each painter to make that change as part of the normal working day.
What specific chemicals in paint are harmful to aquatic life?
Paint formulations vary, but they can contain polymer binders, pigments, preservatives, surfactants, biocides and other additives. Some substances may be hazardous to aquatic organisms, while solid paint particles and polymer-based binders contribute to the overall burden of persistent material entering waterways.
The responsible approach is to prevent paint-contaminated wash water from entering drains wherever possible. Product safety data sheets and local waste instructions should always be followed for the specific paint being used.
How does washing paint brushes affect water treatment facilities?
Paint-contaminated wash water adds suspended solids, polymer particles, pigments and chemical additives to a system that was not designed as a disposal route for leftover paint. Treatment can remove part of this material, but removal is not the same as eliminating it: contaminants may remain in treated water or be transferred into sewage sludge.
Reducing the volume and containing the residue at source is therefore preferable. Lavabrush uses only 1.5 litres for 7–15 brushes, making the remaining wash water far easier to collect and manage.
Are water-based (latex) paints safer to wash out under running water compared to oil-based paints?
Water-based paint is easier to clean from tools, but that does not mean it should be washed freely into a drain. It still contains polymer binders, pigments, fillers and additives, and the dried or dispersed polymer fraction can contribute to microplastic pollution.
Oil- and solvent-based paints require their own specialist cleaning and waste procedures. Lavabrush is designed for water-based paint; the contained wash water should be handled according to local requirements.
Are there microplastics from paints in urban runoff and wastewater?
Yes. Scientific research identifies paint and coatings as an important source of microplastic pollution. Polymer-based paint particles can reach the environment through weathering, abrasion, maintenance, removal, runoff and the washing of paint-contaminated tools.
Brush cleaning is one part of this wider global pathway—and one that individual painters can directly influence. By containing the wash water, Lavabrush helps prevent paint residue from being dispersed in a large stream of water and makes controlled handling possible.
What are some environmentally friendly alternatives to washing paint brushes under running water?
The most effective practical alternative is a contained cleaning system that uses a small, measured volume of water and allows the residue to be collected. Lavabrush cleans 7–15 brushes with 1.5 litres of water, in about 30 seconds per brush, and can reduce water use by up to 99%.
Other good practices include removing excess paint before cleaning, reusing cleaning water where appropriate, never pouring leftover paint into a drain and following local disposal requirements. For professional painters, switching the daily routine from running water to contained cleaning creates an immediate and repeatable impact.
Are architectural coatings and paints a significant source of environmental contamination and microplastic pollution?
Yes. Paint and coatings are used globally on buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, ships and countless manufactured products. Their scale of use, combined with losses during application, maintenance, weathering, removal and cleaning, makes paint an important and often overlooked source of environmental contamination and microplastic pollution.
No single intervention addresses every pathway. Lavabrush targets a specific, preventable one: professional brush cleaning. When individual painters contain paint-contaminated wash water and use up to 99% less water, their repeated daily action contributes to a much larger global solution.
Are there microplastics in paint and coatings?
Yes. Many modern paints and coatings use synthetic polymer binders. When paint particles are released through wear, scraping, sanding, runoff or tool cleaning, the polymer-containing particles can fall within the definition of microplastics.
This does not mean paint has no social value—it protects buildings and materials—but it does mean releases should be reduced wherever practical. Contained brush cleaning is a direct step painters can take without compromising their work.
What components in architectural coatings are harmful to waterways and oceans?
Potentially harmful components vary by formulation and can include polymer binders, pigments, preservatives, surfactants, biocides and other additives. Paint particles can also carry or release substances after they enter the environment, and persistent polymer material adds to microplastic pollution.
The safest general principle is prevention: keep leftover paint and paint-contaminated wash water out of drains and natural waters. Lavabrush supports that principle by reducing water use and containing the wash water for controlled handling.
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LAVABRUSH NOW
Clean your paint brushes faster and better while using up to 99% less water and keeping paint-contaminated wash water under control.
Every painter can make a measurable difference. Join our mission to turn individual daily action into global impact against wasted water and paint-related microplastic pollution.