Cleaning of brush

It has been a long time since I have posted anything to the forums, but I thought I would come back and get some suggestions on how others clean their brushes.

I am not sure that mine really needs a good cleaning, I rinse it out every day really well and I have never really noticed any gunk or caked on stuff on my brush. But it struck me the other day that I have never really "cleaned" my brush in such a manner as to remove anything that I may not be able to see. To be honest, I am not ever sure how necessary that is, even though the brush has been used regularly for over three years now. I know that Classic Shaving used to sell a tablet you could stick in water along with the brush and it would clean the brush. Maybe it was like Alka-Seltzer, I don't know...

Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful.

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Originally Posted by jimmyman

It has been a long time since I have posted anything to the forums, but I thought I would come back and get some suggestions on how others clean their brushes.

I am not sure that mine really needs a good cleaning, I rinse it out every day really well and I have never really noticed any gunk or caked on stuff on my brush. But it struck me the other day that I have never really "cleaned" my brush in such a manner as to remove anything that I may not be able to see. To be honest, I am not ever sure how necessary that is, even though the brush has been used regularly for over three years now. I know that Classic Shaving used to sell a tablet you could stick in water along with the brush and it would clean the brush. Maybe it was like Alka-Seltzer, I don't know...

Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful.

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jimmyman,

Even a daily rinse of your brush won't remove all of the soap or cream that can accumulate in your brush. Believe me, I found that out when I recently washed one of my brushes which I haven't done anything to for the past two years except rinse and shake it out after every shave. Even though there was no noticeable "gunk" there was definitely an accumulated dry white powder in the brush, esp. where the bristles are joined to the handle.

A number of SRP members have mentioned using hair shampoo w/ conditioner about once a month to clean their shaving brushes. I have adopted this practice and it seems to work. Doing so seems to make your brush almost like new so that it handles shave soap and/or cream better when you are building your lather.

Just my two cents...

I clean my brushes 1x a year whether they need it or not and they never do but I do it just for GPs. I use the Classic stuff which is basically Borax. The hair always feels nice and soft afterwards but my brushes perform perfectly anyway and there is no residue or smell for that matter even after a year of use. I think the key is ensuring your brushes are thoroughly rinsed out after each use and I mean thoroughly and soft water doesn't hurt either.

I had put out a thread somewhere asking if your brushes smell from the soap you use and many said yes they do. Mine have no smell whats so ever.

I think we should have somewhere great video how to clean up brush. if my memory not mistaken should be some hair shampoo,vinegar, etc.check video section you may find.
gl

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Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

I think we should have somewhere great video how to clean up brush. if my memory not mistaken should be some hair shampoo,vinegar, etc.check video section you may find.
gl

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Here is a FAQ on cleaning a shaving brush from Em's Place with a video link in the text. I agree with Nelson and I just rinse mine out very well after each use and so far so good.

+1 on the borax. I think I picked it up from the video's Jimmy recommended. It should be available (Borax) in your local market, 20 mule team Borax...If you cannot find it, I will gladly send you some, you pay postage....

Rich

My brush has been used for over a year and it is in great condition. I think its a combination of a gentle shaving soap, whole house water filter, and a thorough rinse after each shave.

I keep looking at it for any type of build up and nothing. It feels just as good as Day 1. Despite all this, it will get a Borax cleaning soon.

An intersting note on Borax. In death valley with the early minors, looking for the precious metals and such, Borax was the most mined and the most profitable.

Pabster

Really? I had no idea Borax even had to be mined. Weird.

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Originally Posted by jimmyman

Really? I had no idea Borax even had to be mined. Weird.

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Yes...After all, it is a mineral.

With regard to earlier posts about using Borax to clean shaving brushes...That makes a lot of sense. Borax softens water, which boosts the cleaning power of detergents. That's why it is sold in the detergent section of supermarkets, etc. My wife has used it for years when washing clothes.

I am going to try this one appreciate the information

I use the shampoo method and have had good success. I can not even remember if the info came from the fine people on here or another source on line.

Thanks to everyone for the info. I just got back from Death Valley a couple of days ago. Borax has many uses but it was used by the miners to safely extract gold from ore. Mercury will do the same thing but it was too dangerous. Borax was worth more than gold at one time.

I just use some of the wife's shampoo and put a light coat of hair conditioner on them then rinse well. After all, badger is hair, treat it as such.

The Superior Shave offers a product called, "Luxury Brush Cleaning Soap," which has worked well for me.