Paint brush cleaner and method

An apparatus for cleaning a paint brush and preventing a discharge of hazardous vapors into the environment comprising:

• a housing for storing a vapor emitting liquid, said housing having an open top portion, a bottom wall and vertical front, side and rear walls, said vertical walls having upper edge portions lying in a common plane;
• a cover in sealing relationship with said housing, said cover having an upper wall, said upper wall having an aperture receiving a grommet;
• a grommet in said aperture of said cover for sealing and extending a handle of a paint brush from the interior of said housing to the exterior of said housing;
• a thick cellular gasket of uniform thickness between said cover and said housing for sealing said cover with respect to said housing;
• and a means for simultaneously fixing said cover to said housing and compressing said thick resilient gasket.

An apparatus for cleaning a paint brush and preventing a discharge of hazardous vapors into the environment comprising:

• a cylindrical housing for storing a vapor emitting liquid, said housing having an open top portion, a vertical cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall;
• said vertical wall having an upper edge lying in a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of said vertical cylindrical side wall;
• a cylindrical cover for sealing said open top portion of said housing, said cover having an aperture for extending a handle of a brush from an interior of said housing to an exterior of said housing;
• a thick closed cell resilient polymer between said cover and said housing for sealing said cover with respect to said housing;
• and a means for simultaneously fixing said cover to said housing and compressing said thick resilient gasket between said cover and said housing.