# Airless Spray Tips - Cleaning



## blackte (Apr 15, 2009)

Looking for ideas on how you keep your airless spray tips clean and ready for use the next time you need them. When I'm done spraying, I normally flip them around and spray some materials through them just to make sure they are cleared. I then drop them into a quart can of Lacquer Thinner for a day or so. Once I clean them off, they get a quick spray from the air hose to make sure they are cleaned out from the lacquer soak. Then into my storage bin, ready for the next time. But lately when I have went to use a couple of them, they are either plugged, or don't spray the correct pattern. 

Got any good cleaning tips and storage methods to keep your tip spraying correctly?

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.


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## Lugnut1968 (Dec 11, 2014)

I just clean them out when I am cleaning the sprayer out. I probably spray half a gallon of water through the gun with the tip (I just keep reversing it a few times) in after the hose shows clear water. Every once in a blue moon I may run some thinner through the sprayer and tips. Most of the time I leave the tip in the gun until the next time I use the sprayer. The other tips not in use just stay in a can in the truck. And I don't have a problem with them at all.

Maybe leaving them in the lacquer thinner that long is causing some kind of adverse reaction *shrugs*


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## Caslon (Dec 15, 2007)

I spritzed my airless tips with WD40 to keep away the rust. Over time, the WD40 turned into a sticky lacquer like substance that gummed up my tips. WD40 has its proper uses, but coating airless tips is not one of them, the same with bike chains too, actually.


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## Jeepkid (Feb 19, 2014)

Tips are cheap if you watch for them. I dont spray hundreds of gallons a month but average 30 to 40 every other month, i have only ruined one tip but i put probably over 300 gallons through it.

I guess it depends on what level you are spraying, most of my stuff is rental grade or exterior, either cheap paint or exterior. Both do a good wear tear on tips.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

If you are running latex, you need to pysically clean them under warm water. I use a toothbrush to make sure the paint gets pushed out.


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## dieboy (Jun 21, 2011)

They actually sell a metal contraption that you put in a clean empty 1 gallon bucket. You can fill the bucket with spirits, and just pop the tip into the holders (holds like 20+ tips) and close the lid.

I used it for paint and topcoat/wood finishing tips. Just do the normal, flip the tip, blast some excess out, and put in holder for tips, then back into the spirits.

The one time I lost a tip with that setup is when it blew out (after about probably a thousand gallons through it.

Another painter i knew just filled a tupperware up with spirits and just threw the tips in there and stored them as such, he didn't seem to have much of a problem either.

GL!!

FYI .. you mention you used laquer, I'd use mineral spirits to clean them. Not sure how much of a diff. it makes, but like I mentioned, I didn't have many problems at all with tips.


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

Store them wet depending on last paint you used. If you last sprayed latex, store them in water. Other paints use spirits.

I use an empty folders plastic jugs half filled with water and store all my tips in that. The lid stays on pretty tight on those jugs.

Stop letting your tips get dry and you will never have a problem again.

PRO TIP: If your tip does dry and get clogged, fill a container with nuclear hot water and soak them for 10 minutes. This heats the paint and makes it malleable. Insert it in gun backwards, turn sprayer to max pressure and blast that clog out.


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## Marjack (Mar 4, 2015)

I keep a mason jar full of water in my van and put the tip, housing, and strainer in it after every use and before it dries. I never have a problem with them. If I am spraying oil the tip goes into the thinner jar.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Buy an ultrasonic cleaner. Use it with a cleaner that will work with your paint.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

For lacquer and shellac, I use carburetor cleaner. The cans come with a thin spray tube...lots of pressure to get in the nooks and crannies and holes.
I try to buy it on sale by the case.


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