How to Clean a Spray Paint Gun

Cleaning your spray paint gun after a paint job is the easiest way to keep your paint gun working smoothly and get a good quality paint job, every time.

It is important to clean your paint gun immediately after use, to avoid having paint dry in the gun, or the essential spray nozzles.

If the paint is left to dry inside your paint gun, it can cause the spray nozzle to clog, and over time paint residue will build up, causing the paint gun to stop working altogether.

Your spray paint gun may also need to be cleaned if you are experiencing an uneven spray or spitting of paint.

In this post, you will learn different ways of cleaning a spray paint gun. Every paint gun is different, so before cleaning, make sure you have your spray paint gun manual on hand and the following supplies.

Paint Gun Cleaning Supplies:

1.   Gloves- gloves will help protect your hands from the paint you are trying to remove

2.   VertecBio™ Citrus I20

3.   Toolset included with your spray paint gun

4.   Cleaning sponge, bottle cleaners, or spray paint gun cleaning kit

5.   Disposal Can

6.   Small Bucket- if soaking the gun

Step One: Clean Out the Spray Paint Can

The first step in cleaning your spray paint gun is to clean out the paint can. This is where you will want to wear your gloves. Simply unscrew the paint can from your paint gun.

If there is paint still in the paint can, you can either dispose of it or put it in a paint can for later use.

Once the paint has been removed from the paint can use paper towels, or a sponge, to clean out the rest of the paint in the paint can.

It is essential to also clean the lid on the paint can, and the screw top.

Once all the paint is cleaned out of the paint can fill the paint can with a half cup of VertecBio™ Citrus I20

Use the spray gun and spray the cleaner into the disposal can until the cleaner runs clear.

Once you have sprayed the cleaner through the gun, remove the paint can again, and wipe it out once more with paper towels.

Set aside and let dry.

Step Two: Disassembling Spray Paint Gun

Disassembling a spray paint gun is a fairly easy process. It is important to remove pieces from your spray paint gun one at a time so that you can clean them properly.

Removing the pieces one at a time will also help you stay organized for when it is time to reassemble the spray paint gun.

This is where your user manual will come in handy if you have any issues finding parts of the spray paint gun that need to be disassembled.

Step Three: Remove the Fluid Needle

Remove the Fluid Needle from your spray paint gun. On most spray paint guns, the needle is located on the rear of the gun. You want to be careful when removing the needle to not bend or break the needle. Any damage to the needle will cause your paint gun to not work properly.

Once the needle is removed. Use  VertecBio™ Citrus I20  to clean the needle.

Set the needle aside.

Step Four: Remove the Air Cap

Remove the air cap from the front of the paint gun. Once the air cap is removed, clean it thoroughly withVertecBio™ Citrus I20. This is a good time to use the needles that came with your spray paint gun kit to clean out the holes in the spray cap. Cleaning the holes in the spray cap will ensure that you get a clean and even spray on your next paint job.

Step Five: Remove Fluid Nozzle

With tools that came with your spray paint gun, find the right size wrench and remove the fluid nozzle that is underneath the air cap. Once the fluid nozzle is removed, clean again with the  VertecBio™ Citrus I20  and set to the side.

Step Six: Flush out Spray Paint Gun

Start rinsing out the body of the spray paint gun with VertecBio™ Citrus I20. At this time, if you prefer, you can soak the remaining paint gun in a bucket ofVertecBio™ Citrus I20. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, and then pull it out and wipe it down. While rinsing out the spray paint gun, make sure to be holding down the handle of the gun so the fluid runs through the entire gun, and cleans both the inside and the outside of the paint gun.

Step Seven: Wipe Down the Spray Paint Gun

Once the body of the paint gun is rinsed out, or soaked for the appropriate amount of time, it is time to do the final wipe down of the paint gun. Take every piece and make sure that you have wiped dry every part of the spray paint gun, and that no paint remains on any of the pieces.

Step Eight: Reassemble the Spray Paint Gun

Once all parts of your spray paint gun have been cleaned with VertecBio™ Citrus I20, it is time to reassemble the spray paint gun.

Start with the fluid needle, and carefully screw it back into place.

Once the needle is back into place, take the Fluid Nozzle and replace it on the front of the spray paint gun.

After the fluid nozzle is in place, attach the Air Cap to the front of the gun.

Finally, attach the paint can back to the spray paint gun, and you are ready to go.

Cleaning a Spray Paint Gun with Solvent Alternatives

Taking care of your spray paint gun is essential to succeeding in every paint job that you do. Using  VertecBio™ Citrus I20 in cleaning your spray paint gun will help aid in the proper cleaning of your spray paint gun, while not harming the environment.

Learning how to clean your spray paint gun is an essential skill to have, and the sooner your spray paint gun is cleaned after a job, the better.

We hope this helps you to understand just how to clean out your spray paint gun, and how VertecBio™ Citrus I20  can help with your toughest jobs.