Cleaning mixing bottles

[Rich7284]

Is there anyway to clean mixing bottles for airbrushing?  Like a way that removes enamel. Getting to cheap to buy new ones lol

 

[DPNM]

Maybe it's just me but your question seems rather vague.

Are the bottles plastic or glass?
Do your bottles have the airbrush siphon tube or a lid that seals?
Are the bottles you are trying to clean empty and you want to use them for a different color?

If the bottles are glass you should be able to clean them with lacquer thinner (or enamel reducer). I do not have any plastic bottles so I can offer no confirmed advice.

Sealed lids can use the same thinners for cleaning. It may be hard to get it all out of the nooks and crannies of the lid, and the gasket if it has one, so I would recommend trying to put the same similar color in the bottle once cleaned. IE, new blue paint in a bottle that had had blue in it at one time, new red in an old red bottle, etc.

I hope this helps.

[BigTallDad]

delete

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by BigTallDad

[Miatatom]

One tip I have for mixing bottles is to cover the mouth of the bottle with Press and Seal and then screw the lid on. No messy threads on the lid or bottle.

[Rich7284]

Found the solution.to my problem was easy off bottles look like new!

[peteski]

5 hours ago, Rich7284 said:

Found the solution.to my problem was easy off bottles look like new!

What does that mean?

[Dave G.]

I clean my mixing bottles as I go, each time I paint. For enamel I use lacquer thinner and it just swishes right out and or wipes off. If you let em sit and get caked up with paint it might take more work. But I don't do that personally.

[70mach1]

13 hours ago, peteski said:

What does that mean?

 

13 hours ago, peteski said:

 

"Easy Off"   Is the trade name of home oven cleaner

Edited July 22, 2019 by 70mach1

[peteski]

9 hours ago, 70mach1 said:

 

"Easy Off"   Is the trade name of home oven cleaner

LOL, I wasn't quite sure what that reply was telling us.  Thanks for the translation.

Not sure why Easy Off was needed.   We usually use that stuff (lye-based chemicals) to safely strip paint from plastic model bodies. I would imagine that lacquer thinner or acetone would also work well for removing dried up paint in mixing bottles. Whether those are plastic or glass, they should be resistant to either of those chemicals, and would I rather mess around with lacquer thinner or acetone, than with lye.