Thread: why wash and dry brush between shaves?

If it makes a difference i dont use badger i use boar.

No,,,,makes no difference,,,piggy's deserve respect too.

I am pretty sure this one came up fairly recently, I know of 2 guys that leave their brushes soapy, and I did wonder about the festering germ farm that my soap bowl should be .
The only thing I can think of with Joyce is that Ireland would be cold and damp most of the time so maybe the brush didn't properly dry out, also folk would only have one brush, and you would also save on shaving soap.

It's simple really it's called good personal hygiene, whenever we use things that involve shaving it's a very good idea to be as clean as possible in everything you do, first contact with your skin will be with a brush and your skin is the largest organ of the human body.

Aside from the hygiene/brush life expectancy factors, I find the performance dwindles with a dirty brush.

After every shave I wash out the old lather, give the brush a gentle squeeze and dry it off before storage. About once a month my brushes will get a good shampooing, after which the difference in performance is quite noticeable. This is something I discovered years ago and will continue to do until the day my old feeble hands are no longer able to swirl a shaving brush around my wrinkled face.

Shampooing? please tell me more, scented /un scented, conditioned/unconditioned.

I can't leave them out when they still smell like the animal, my cats attack them.

Originally Posted by diesel

Shampooing? please tell me more, scented /un scented, conditioned/unconditioned.

Doesn't really matter if it's scented or unscented, but avoid 2-in-1 or conditioner at all costs. The wax will build up on the bristles and actually work to repel water instead of absorbing it. I find anything gentle like baby shampoo works the best.

What I do is put a dab of shampoo on my palm and basically "palm lather" it, gently working it into the bristles with my finger tips as well. A thorough rinse and dry and it's back in fighting form

I figure that if I paid $$$ for a two-band badger brush, I want it to last as long as possible. That means maintaining it and allowing it to rest for a few days between uses. I also follow Ryan's method of shampooing it.

I agree with Ryan on the performance point. Why would one want a crusty brush anyway? I like my brushes to be soft...