A paint brush that has “Chinex” bristles. Chinex is a DuPont nylon that holds its shape and stiffness very well and cleans up quickly and easily. A 2-to-3-inch-wide Chinex brush might cost $15 to $20-compared to as little as $1 to $2 for a home center’s bargain brush-but its long life and ease of cleaning can make it a money saver in the long run. If you clean a Chinex brush regularly it can last a lifetime. And because Chinex bristles hold their shape and stiffness very well, it is much easier to paint straight, sharp lines than it is with a lesser brush-it’s almost impossible to paint straight lines when bristles sag and bend. One secret to long paint brush life: Don’t wait to the end of a day of painting to wash out brushes. Rinse them with warm water every two to three hours even if you intend to go right back to painting to prevent paint from drying on the bristles. Recommendation: Corona Performance Chinex brushes are American made and among the best available. A 2.5-inch Corona Excalibur, one of the options in Corona’s “Performance” product line, sells for around $20 on Amazon.com. CoronaBrushes.com