Does anyone have tips on how to clean and maintain a shaving brush on a regular basis?
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Does anyone have tips on how to clean and maintain a shaving brush on a regular basis?
That's a highly debatable theme. Some will argue that a solution of borax or vinegar with water (say 1 to 4) works perfectly and doesn't damage the bristles (when used occasionally), other will say all you really need is to clean them up thoroughly after use, using simply water.
I personally only use the vinegar mix if I feel one of my brushes is under performing, but I am very thorough with the daily cleaning and don't have hard water, so it's actually been over a year since I've had the need to do that type of cleaning to any of my brushes (having a large rotation also helps :D).
Lots of different home brews for cleaning brushes. Some folks swear by Prell Shampoo and warm water.
I rinse mine in hot water and shake it dry in the shower. some people hang it from a stand I stand mine up and let it dry. My dad's old brush when I dug it out of the cedar chest was bent so bad that it looked like a 7. I heated water to a simmer and added fabric softener and soaked it. May have been the wrong thing to do but it worked to some degree. it still leans to one direction but for the most part it works ok.
There are a few vids out there that show you how to clean a shave brush but I have not tried any of them. I have never really cleaned a shave brush save for rinsing it out thoroughly post shave and letting it dry either standing on it's base or hanging inverted. Be interesting to see if others have a specific more thorough cleaning process done on a periodic basis above and beyond normal post use cleaning and drying.
Bob
Warm water (a lot of it) immediately after use. Shake dry, drag it gently across a hanging towel. Hang upside down for a day to dry. Afterwards, back on the shelf (upright) until next time around. Should always wait a couple days before using again...so they say. Good excuse to have at least 2-3 brushes in rotation.
I think the most logical response I ever saw to the question of 'cleaning' (as opposed to rinsing, drying, storing on a daily basis) was to remember that, assuming it is not a synthetic, these things are made from hair. So use hair cleaning products. :)
Very very occasionally I will use shampoo and conditioner on my brushes. But really I make a point of rinsing them really well after use, then drying and storing it properly, so I imagine I really don't need to do even that. But if you feel the brush could use a cleaning, give regular old shampoo a shot. After all it works for cleaning your hair, right?
Now, getting rid of the badger funk on a brand new brush is a whole other question...
Have never cleaned a badger brush,one of mine I bought 30 yrs ago,is in perfect condition.
Rinse in water, shake hang is what I have always done.
Have been running an experiment,my user brush has never been rinsed or dried,going on a year now.is in fine condition.
For me, thorough rinsing after use, followed by a squeeze, then light strokes on a towel, is sufficient most of the time. Then, maybe once or twice a year, I'll soak my brushes in water/baby shampoo mix for 10 minutes. My water is moderately hard, yet this seems sufficient. For a more thorough clean, I will simply give a soak in water/washing up liquid mix for 10 minutes prior to the baby shampoo.
Treat them as you would your own hair.
Every 3 months the brushes in my rotation get the best conditioner on the market,,, Paul Mitchell, certain Pantene's,, now I'm using the Pantene Keratin Repair, my badgers seem to like this.
If you thoroughly rinse the brush after every use and shake out excess water and allow it to air dry you should never have to do anything further. The only caveat there is if you have seriously bad water quality. Then you might need some of the treatment discussed.
I have a badger hair brush I've used for 5 years now and all I've done with it is rinse with hot tap water after use, shake out excess water, gently brush remaining water out on towel then hang bristles down to dry. Have never cleaned with anything and its doing just fine.
I can't treat my brush as I do my own hair. I really don't know where my hair is. Hair will turn one way or the other. either it will turn gray or turn loose. Mine did the later.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirlau
Yes, bad water is the culprit. I had to start using distilled water for shaving and rinsing my brush. If I dont, the calcium and lime in my water make my brush "crusty" after only a couple of uses. Water quality is probably the number one variable on how frequently it is required to clean. If I went 5 years with rinsing in my tap water, my brush would be a single 26mm wide bristle lolQuote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
Not everyone needs to clean their brush, or feels it needs to be cleaned. If you are worried about oil build up from pre-shave oil or super fatted shaving soaps or hard water deposit the following will work:
Clean and sanitize a shaving brush
There are many reasons to clean up a brush. No matter how well you clean your brush after shaving, there will be soap residue that stays down deep on the knot and minute hard water deposits building up in the bristles. Cleaning your knots will remove the accumulated soap scum and hard water deposits. Many people report that their brushes are softer and lather better after a good cleaning.
1.Strip the oils from the bristles. You bodies natural oils can slowly build up on the bristles (this is particularly true if you use a pre-shave oil). This makes it difficult for the bristles to absorb water. Using some hand or dish soap work up a good lather with your brush. If this is a second hand brush and you want to be extra vigilant against germs, make sure to use an antimicrobial soap. Let this sit for a good ten minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
2.Clean and sanitize the knot. This can be accomplished by using either vinegar or borax.
◦Using a vinegar solution: Find a small container (something big enough for a brush and a cup of liquid) and place the brush and plain white vinegar in the container. Make sure the knot is fully covered. Let the brush soak for ten minutes and then agitate the brush. Let it soak for 10 more minutes.
◦Using borax: Make up a paste using borax powder and water. Work the paste into the bristles and down into the knot of the brush. Let the brush sit for 24 hrs.
◦You can also use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water or a cup of water with a large tablespoon of borax. Agitate as per the vinegar directions.
3.Rinse extremely well and let dry.
4.Enjoy your revitalized shaving brush!
I give it a thorough rinse after use, letting water run down the breach for half a minute. Squeeze and shake and then let dry. If a brush is underperforming, I'll soak in a mild Dawn solution for about five minutes, rinse, shampoo, rinse and then dry.
Some folks use glycerin solution instead of shampoo but I've found some of my brushes to soften too much when glycerin is used. YMMV.
Alex7,
For me, I clean my brushes (Badger & Boar) about every six months - (I like to use over-fatted soaps, so the bristles get kind of 'greasy' after a while).
I use Johnsons Baby Shampoo to clean. I add a dollop (about a teaspoons worth) into my lather bowl, and make 'lather' with the Baby Shampoo, using water that has ca. 5% vinegar in it, taking care that the knot is full of the 'lather'. I then leave the brush for ca. 30 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.
Do I need to do this that often - probably not :)
I have been doing this cleaning regimen for six years, and my brushes still look pristine, so it looks like it is not harming them :)
Have fun :)
Best regards
Russ
Some of my brushes are pushing 15 years and I never wash them other than a very thorough rinsing after use and they all look brand new and have no scent on them at all.
I think a lot of this brush washing is similar to strop treatments. The less you do the better.
I found pumping the brush in water up and down as opposed to holding under faucet works better. For me anyways. Other than that I have used shampoo and a 1-6 ratio of vinegar water before with good results. I think the key here is use very very little and rinse well.
I agree with MattCB and Steel - when my silvertip brushes start underperforming, or I remember to, I'll wash them in dish soap and then give them the vinegar treatment. Never had any issues with it and my brushes end up feeling like new afterwards.
Just a tip for you brush cleaning Fanatics,you can do a whole batch at once using your wifes salad spinner:)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...e/DSC00962.jpg
I'm not sure who "they" are Phoenix, but my dad used the same brush every day for as long as I was aware (at least 20 years) and it looked and felt better than some I bought did on the day I bought them. I'm fairly sure that badger hair is pretty resilient and that I'm no where near as hard on it as the badger was. That being said, I have about 3 favorites that I tend to switch between if I use a mug instead of face lathering, or am using a cream instead of a soap. I pretty much rinse them under running water, shake into the shower and swipe across my hand towel, then hang, bristles down.Quote:
Originally Posted by Phoenix51
Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelfixed
Dang Blasphemy !!!! Attachment 193762
Why stop there? Put them in a centrifuge.
It is a Centrifuge.manualy operated.Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
I likee this..Why strop there,, put em in a can of vinegar and send em into ORBit..Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
New to the ins and outs of cleaning and preserving shaving gear, it will likely be some time before my new Thater brush needs a scrubbing beyond water and a shake.
Although none would be cleaning dried oils combined with heavy metals from their finest badger, I've used The Original B&J "The Masters" Brush Cleaner & Preserver on my favorite artist sable brushes for years.
Based on information gleaned from these great threads, might suggest use a small amount to soap up the bristles, let it sit for a bit, then rinse it out with warm water. Repeat as needed. May be worth looking into, for those with hard water or excessive build up.
Never thought so many words could be devoted to a cleaning simple tool designed for one's comfort and vanity.
I figured I'd go straight to the source. I encountered a silver tip badger and was about to ask him how it kept its fir so clean. But before he could enlighten me with his wisdom, a poacher blasted his head clean off and skinned it for the sole purpose of harvesting its fir for the use of making shave brushes for the overly obsessed shave aficionado. FWIW the hair was beautiful and made a wonderful brush knot. Should go great with a ivory handle made of baby Black Rhino horn and a strop made from the scrotum of endangered whale.
Ahaa, Jist So .. Do ya have an extra slab of the whale..??
Unfortunately, no. The remainder went for covering the bar stools on my 60' yacht.:D
Yep Yep..Thar she Blows' no doubt..over n out..
... wait! That was a joke. :gaah:Quote:
Originally Posted by BWP1474
I thought I found a new source for shaving gear! Crap!!!
I clean my brushes by using them! Tabac does a wonderful job of cleaning.
