Most airbrushing problems are related to dirty airbrush, improper viscosity paint and incorrect air pressure. Prior to any painting, disassemble the airbrush and ensure the areas which come in contact with paint are clean. These include where the paint flows from the paint cup or bottle into the airbrush, around the tip of the needle, and out through the head assembly. It is very important to clean the airbrush before the paint can dry. Even the smallest amount of dried paint on the needle can make removal almost impossible.

Completely release air pressure to the airbrush, remove the handle, loosen the needle chucking nut, and pull the needle out. Clean the needle carefully, ensuring you do not damage the delicate needle tip. Cleaning products which can be used include water, window cleaner, concentrated airbrush cleaner mixed with water, and some airbrushers use isopropanol alchol. Lacquer thinner can be used for difficult cleaning tasks, but use with proper precautions. Lacquer thinner is very hard on the hands and the fumes are harmful. On Iwata and similar airbrushes remove the needle cap and nozzle cap to ensure they are clean. I have never had to remove the nozzle on my Iwata airbrushes while cleaning. On Paasche airbrushes, remove the aircap, aircap body and tip and clean if necessary. An artist brush or pipe cleaner work well. Do not use cotton swabs as the fibers will release.

Once the needle is clean, apply a small amount of airbrush lubricant to the front half of the needle. An excellent lubricant is SuperLube, which is non-toxic, contains no petroleum or silicone additives. It will not affect or react with any water, lacquer or enamal based paints. To lubricate the trigger, place a few drops into the tigger opening of the airbrush body.

After you have cleaned the airbrush, and the nozzle and aircap body are in place and secure, slide the needle into the airbrush and push gently until it seats against the nozzle. If you feel any resistance before it reaches the nozzle, it is most likely caused by the trigger mechanism being slightly out of place. Reset the trigger and slide the needle forward until it fits snugly in the nozzle. Tighten the needle chucking nut, and replace the handle. Always remove or pull the needle back slightly before replacing the nozzle and aircap body. This will prevent the needle from splitting the nozzle when tightening the aircap body or nozzle cap.

During each painting session, check inside the aircap (needle cap) often for paint buildup on the needle tip and aircap. Clean if necessary using a small artist brush and cleaner. Occasionally, with the airbrush aimed away from your work, depress fully and pull the trigger back to release a few blasts of air and paint. This method moves the needle forward and backwards through the nozzle and helps keep the needle tip clean and helps prevent spitting of paint.

When the airbrush will not spray paint, sputters or if you see bubbles appear in the paint cup, this is an indication that the tip and or nozzle requires cleaning. One method which can be tried to clean the tip is called backflushing. After dumping the paint from the cup, remove the handle, loosen the needle chucking nut and pull the needle back about 2 mm and re-tighten. Cover the needle cap (aircap) with your finger and blast air into the nozzle, causing clogged paint to be backflushed into the cup.

You can also try cleaning the nozzle by adding cleaner to the cup, increase air pressure and try to blast the air through. If this does not work, remove the needle and clean all necessary parts. Never soak the airbrush in any solvent, to avoid damaging any "O" ring or packing. Prior to changing colours, you can spray cleaner or just water through the airbrush. Always spray clean water after using any airbrush cleaner or solvent. Spray all water out of the airbrush, add new paint to the cup, test spray, then continue spraying. At the end of each spray operation, keep the trigger depressed while moving trigger completely forward. This way, air is sprayed through the airbrush last and will help keep the nozzle and needle clean.