There’s no trade secret here—mineral spirits are a universal solvent for oil-based paint. They emit less odor than paint thinner and are considered more effective as a paint brush cleaner.

Oil paint can be messy. If cleanup is put off, it gets harder and harder (and can even ruin your paint brushes).

How quickly do you need to clean your paint brushes after using them? Oil paint takes longer to dry than water-based paints, but don’t let that fool you—cleaning the paint off brushes should ...