A good way to keep brushes is to suspend them by the handles in a covered can, keeping the points at least half an inch from the bottom, and apart from each other. The can should be filled with slowly-drying varnish up to a line about1/16 inch above the bristles or hair. The can should then be kept in a close cupboard, or in a box fitted for the purpose. As wiping a brush on a sharp edge will gradually split the bristles and cause them to curl backward, and eventually ruin the brush, the top of the can should have a wire soldered along the edge of the tin, turned over, in order to prevent injury. Finishing brushes should not be cleansed in turpentine, except in extreme cases. When taken from the can, prepare them for use by working them out in varnish; and before replacing them, eleanse the handles and binding in turpentine.