How To Clean Airless Paint Sprayer – Best Guide

This Article shows you how to clean your airless paint sprayer inside in two easy steps.

• Clean the inside of your paint sprayer
• Clean the inside of your airless paint sprayer

All you need to do is apply a few tablespoons of alcohol to a rag and wipe it inside and out. The rest of this article will help you to get the best cleaning results.

Cleaning the interior of your paint sprayer

The first step in cleaning your paint sprayer interior is to clean the paint chamber itself.

First, empty the paint into a container. Then scrape the chamber to remove as much paint as possible.

If the paint is in a conical, a sloped design, it’s best to empty the paint chamber completely so that you can scrape it all.

Next, add a small amount of water to a pot or pan.

Why do you need to clean your airless paint sprayer?

The easy answer is that the cleaner the cleaner you will be. When you have your paint sprayer out there spraying, the paint itself can also become messy. The larger the paint surface area is to work on, the messier it can become. The same is true for painting on a roof or painting on asphalt. This is why it is advisable to clean your airless paint sprayer on a regular basis. I hope this article has enlightened you as to how to clean your airless paint sprayer.

ALSO READ: How To Get Rid Of Spray Paint Lines

Note: Do not use any type of solvent when cleaning your airless paint sprayer. Instead, follow these steps and then let the paint dry naturally. I have left the explanation below as a supplementary document.

Use a portable airless paint sprayer like a paint sprayer blender or a paint brush gun.

The best way to clean your airless paint sprayer

Before you attempt to clean your airless paint sprayer, be sure to remove the spray feed hose. This will allow you to access the underside of the unit. Also, be sure to make sure that the drip tray is closed so that you do not fill the tray with dirt and debris.

This is important because dirt and debris can quickly work their way up the interior of the paint sprayer and back down the feed tube to the bottom of the sprayer.

This can result in either damaged paint, dirt or air in the sprayer. Obviously, you do not want the paint to get damaged in any way.

When you are able to access the sprayer, here are some steps you will want to take to ensure that your paint sprayer is in the best condition possible.

Why is this method the best?

It’s always the same: the paint pressure needs to be equalized or else the sprayer wont work.

Do not spray in the direction of the flow!

What are the side effects of cleaning a paint gun like this?

3. NEVER spray more paint than you are using to clean it!

This method can be dangerous as the head may be twisted or the paint gun may burst (incision of the steel water seal).

Directions:

• 1. Clean and degrease the paint gun.
• 2. Fill a jar with water and use this to clean the inside of the paint gun, especially on the condenser and the rubber door gasket.
• 3. With clean hands, remove all the dead skin from the paint guns. Wipe the condenser with a cotton ball.
• 4. Rub one side of the door gasket with rubbing alcohol until it becomes powdery.

Set Up Your Buckets

You will be able to see how much paint is in each bucket, so start dumping buckets when you get a couple of gallons. Your storage bins can also help you visualize how much paint you are going to need. The buckets can usually hold 10 gallons of paint, if they are smaller than that, you’ll need to cut it with some bin liners.

To use a bucket of primer, mix a couple tablespoons of the liquid paint with water. Remember, you don’t have to use paint, you can also use clear silicone sealant for this. Mix it into a bucket and paint the walls.

If you want to use drywall mud, you will need about ¾ cup of paint and the bucket. Mix a couple tablespoons of the liquid paint into a bucket and mix it with water. After everything is mixed thoroughly, you can use the bucket to apply the drywall mud.

ALSO READ: Best Ways To Get Spray Paint off Hands

Clear Out the Remaining Paint

It is always a good idea to thoroughly clean your airless paint sprayer before you start painting again, especially if you have used it to mix a thick layer of paint. I know that can be a chore, but I did it for you and here are some of my best tips.

Cleaning your paint sprayer can be done in three ways. You can just leave it to dry, use a cleaning solution, or use a cleaner. They are all the same so what makes one cleaner than the others?

Now let’s take a look at the three methods.

Cleaning the Various Filters

The airless paint sprayer often filters to reduce the particulates (dust and soot) from the air spray. The paint is electrically heated (takes electricity) to produce a fine spray that dries hard. Before the paint dries it is often blown around and deposited on surfaces of the workpieces. The paint may also have a protective layer on it which means it must be wiped off before it dries.

To clean the various filters of your airless paint sprayer you need to

Remove the filter section on top of the sprayer

Unscrew the two attachment bolts at the top of the section

Pull out the filter and grab a wash cloth and water and wipe the filter as you would for your regular sprayer. Once you have wiped it clean you can clean the other filters in the same manner.

Clean the Nozzles

Most people would be stunned to hear that there is actually a little two finger gripper on the airless paint sprayer that has not been used in years. What this little thing does is allow you to get hold of the nozzles after you paint it and clean them. If you are anything like me you just plonk the nozzle into the dustbin without even thinking about it but if you do that I guarantee there will be some air trapped inside of there, hence the need for this little handy helper.

Mount a Shopvac to the Ceiling

If you have a larger shop you may have to use the Shopvac, if not then this is a great way to do it without destroying your ceiling. It’s a quick and easy clean up solution to take out the paint that is now building up inside of the nozzle and is built up.

Scrub the Spray Gun

Cleaning out your paint gun with hand scrubbing is a very good idea. The airless paint sprayers are made to be sprayers and not dust collectors, and getting the gun as clean as you can should be a top priority.

There’s two ways to clean it, either hand wash with warm, soapy water, and rinse with water, or with an all-purpose cleaner like Clorox Clean-up (refer to reference). Both of these methods will require you to detach the gun, which also has a tendency to become hung up on itself in the sink. To remove the gun from the sprayer, be sure to detach the handle too (See the picture below). If you have a double barrel sprayer, be careful not to dislodge the trigger.

Then you’ll want to open the back of the gun up and clean out all the gunk.

Drain paint from the hose

Begin drying the paint with a hard wire brush or sandpaper.

Dry paint thoroughly in a dry area.

Do not store paint outdoors in your garage or on your porch. This is a significant danger. You will put yourself at risk for fire or lead poisoning.

Save paint and store outside for outdoor use, but be sure to keep paint away from any combustibles.

Heat that accumulated in the paint can is an extra danger. When paint is over-heated or heated, a form of lead becomes available as lead acetate. This potentially toxic lead is an extreme fire hazard.