Thread: why wash and dry brush between shaves?

Ive been thoroughly rinsing and drying my brush between every shave because i read that i should but ive been thunking that if the remaining soap/lather was left in to dry it would produce a better lather quicker the next use so my question is what is the purpose of rinsing the brush after every shave? I assume the soap will prevent mold from growing and it will be fresh soap everyday from use.

I'm certainly not an expert on the subject but my guess would be that leaving soap to dry in the brush would cause the bristles to become brittle, ultimately leading to an earlier demise for your brush. It's an interesting question though.

It's hair,,,,yes a badger, but it's still hair. Would you leave leftover lather in your hair between showers?

The thought of letting leftover Bigelow stay in my custom badgers, then pile on the TOBS , does not even register in my common sense register.

Though it was an interesting question,,,,

I think bacteria like to dine on soap residue.

I think after a week of that they walk out on their own. Not hard to track down just follow the smell.

So when you shower why rinse off the shampoo. Why not leave it on till the next time. It will lather more quickly.

It's hair all the same. it needs to be treated with respect.

The bristles need to dry and "breath" between uses. If they're damp and soapy all the time, the knot is going to die quickly.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

It's hair,,,,yes a badger, but it's still hair. Would you leave leftover lather in your hair between showers?

The thought of letting leftover Bigelow stay in my custom badgers, then pile on the TOBS , does not even register in my common sense register.

Though it was an interesting question,,,,

no but i often leave in a bit of conditioner and i only use one kind of soap so mixing bigelo and tobs isnt an issue.

I didnt know bacteria fed on soap residue so i guess i have my answer on that but it brings up a new question, if bacteria grows on soap residue in a brush why is the soap in my mug not a festering pool of filth?

(Aside: someone posted a photo recently asking how to clean his brush. It had this chunky soapy grunge buildup about half-an-inch deep beneath the handle. Everything else notwithstanding, it was just nasty. You can't want that. Grunge + blades + skin, not so good. It reminded me of the dark corners of my son's dormitory shower at UT in Knoxville. I wouldn't rub my face in that soap. A swirly would be better.)

Originally Posted by pontiacfieroguy

no but i often leave in a bit of conditioner and i only use one kind of soap so mixing bigelo and tobs isnt an issue.

I didnt know bacteria fed on soap residue so i guess i have my answer on that but it brings up a new question, if bacteria grows on soap residue in a brush why is the soap in my mug not a festering pool of filth?

What's good about this wetshaving, is you can do it anyway you like.