Bitumen roof coatings are popular among many homeowners. You can use them to enhance the waterproofing qualities of your roof while protecting it against other harmful elements like UV radiation. If you want to apply a bitumen coating on your roof, you need the right tools for the job. A long handle bitumen brush is definitely one of them. It's a great tool because you can use it for other coating jobs when you finish working on your roof. However, you need to clean the long handle bitumen brush before using it for other purposes. Here are some tips you will need for cleaning your brush: 

Clean Immediately After Application 

Bitumen has very strong adhesive qualities. It's no surprise that contractors use it during road construction to bind tarmacked surfaces. Therefore, if you let it sit on your long handle brush for too long, the bitumen will glue the bristles together, making it impossible to clean. The best thing is to clean your long handle bitumen brush immediately after you finish using it to coat the roof. There will be no chance for the bitumen to hold onto the bristles. 

Use Bitumen Tar Remover 

You can simplify the cleaning process by using special tar and bitumen removers. They work like any other cleaning agent that breaks down the bonds between dirt and the material you are cleaning. Bitumen tar removers comprise multiple solvents, emulsifiers and chemical corrosion inhibitors. All these elements work together to dissolve and remove the bitumen from the bristles of your brush. 

There Are Other Removers

In some cases, you might not be able to get a hold of bitumen tar removers. You need makeshift cleaning agents to stand in for the bitumen removers. For small-scale home projects, ordinary soap and lukewarm water will work for removing water-based bitumen coating from your brush. However, the oil-based coatings normally present a challenge. You will need to get a paint thinner, such as turpentine, to remove the bitumen from the brush. 

A Toothbrush Will come in Handy

It might seem unthinkable, but it actually works. A toothbrush does an excellent job when you are cleaning your long-handled bitumen brush. Dip the toothbrush in the cleaning agent of your choice, and use it to apply the cleaning agent onto the bristles of the brush. Do this liberally to enable the cleaning agent to reach all sections of the brush. It also keeps you from wasting that precious cleaning agent.