How to Clean an Airbrush Gun

The content on this page was created by Lisa Snyder and is used by permission. Check out her blog at www.thebearfootbaker.com

I am a firm believer in getting things straight from the horses mouth. If I have a question about something, I like to get the right answer from the person who knows what is going on. So I called Edward. Edward was very smart and super helpful person at Pegasus. He is my airbrush go to guy!



This my airbrush gun. Isn't she pretty? Her name is 'Wendy.' I got her from Karen's Cookies. An airbrush gun wasn't a big investment like my DSLR Camera but, it is an investment. Any time I purchase something new, I want to know how to take care of it because I want to keep it running as smoothly as possible for as long as I can. I want to share with you how to properly clean your gun so it will work like new for a long time. If you want to know how to use the airbrush gun, click here.



NEVER USE HOT WATER on your airbrush gun because, there are plastic gaskets that can be warped and destroy your gun. Use warm water.



This cup is where you add the airbrush color. It needs to be cleaned when you are done using it. So add some warm water to and dump it out into a trash can or a cup of water or the sink. Add a little more water and dump it out.



Then, with the gun plugged in and on,submerge the needle and cup into a bowl of warm water and pull the trigger. The gun is connected to a rubber hose so as long as the mini compressor or power cord doesn't touch the water, you will not be shocked. No electric current runs through the hose. Run water through for a few minutes to make sure all of the color is out of the gun. Pull and release the trigger several times to force particles out of the needle and end cap. If you water turns colors, you will need to get fresh water and continue to rinse.



When you remove the gun from the water, add fresh water to the cup. Then, put your finger over the needle cap and pull the trigger to make the air flow backward into the gun to remove any left color. It will bubble up. Dump the water and submerge the needle and cup into the warm water and pull the trigger.



Remove the gun from the water and spray onto a white napkin or white paper towel. If you don't see any color on your napkin or paper towel, your gun is clean. You can buy cleaners to clean your gun but Edward assured me you can use the process above but, if you want a cleaning solution, add 2 drips of dish washing liquid to the water. After you clean it be sure to rinse it very well! You don't want it to dry with bubbles in gun because it will harm it.



This is the needle. It is a very important part of your gun. You don't want to do anything to harm your needle so treat it with care.


Pearl Sheen is a beautiful thing! It can give your cookies a marvelous finish. I love Pearl Sheen and use it every chance I get. I am going to do a post soon on how to use your Pearl Sheen with it blowing chunks onto your cookies. It will work for all sheen colors so stay tuned.

I have also learned Peal Sheen is not like the regular colors for your airbrush gun. It will dry as a solid and can mess up your gun if you don't clean it properly after you use it because it will set up in your gun. If you follow the steps above, you should not have any problems with your gun. Use that Pearl Sheen and don't be afraid!


If your trigger is lose and nothing is coming out of your gun, don't panic. You can curdle your gun and soak it in water overnight if you follow the steps below. The gun is designed not to rust so if you don't scratch it, it will be fine left in water for a day or two. This should help unclog it. Edward told me he has left his gun in water for 2 weeks and it works fine.


Do you ever wonder why there is a tiny little wrench in your airbrush gun box? Well, I will tell you.



It is used to remove this! Every once in a while you need to curdle your gun especially if you use a lot of Pearl Sheen.



Remove the needle cap and the nozzle cap. With your little wrench, remove the nozzle.



Look at that needle! That is a beautiful sight! Be careful to just remove the nozzle and not the needle!! Once you loosen the nozzle, carefully slide it off leaving the needle in place.



Put it in water and let it soak overnight. You can add a with a drop or two of vinegar if you want a cleaning solution. (Pretend I took my gun apart like the picture above. You should remove the end cap, and the nozzle. I forgot to take a picture of that step but will add it when I get home from vacation.)



Once it soaks overnight put it back together and rinse. You are ready to go airbrush some cookies now.

I hope I have taken the scary out of the cleaning process for you. If you have any other questions please contact Karen's Cookies or Edward at info@sugarart.com. His number is 817-297-2240 if you want to get encouragement from him before you start to take your gun apart. He is the one who taught me and he is a great teacher!

The content on this page was created by Lisa Snyder and is used by permission. Check out her blog at www.thebearfootbaker.com

For a video on maintaining, troubleshooting, and cleaning the needle and trigger, click here.