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Brush Cleaning

What ever is in the potable water we use at work has really affected the performance of my brush and it needs a cleaning. I was going to use dawn but wasnt sure if it was safe...what do you guys use to clean your brushes?
 
Sean:

Emily at Ems place recommends a 4 to 1 mixture of water & vinegar (4 parts water, 1 part vinegar) with a splash of glycerine in it. I've used that on my Vulfix and it worked well.

Jerry
 
Sean, I think you can find it at most drug stores. I picked mine up at CVS. I also forgot to add she said it was ok to wash it with dish detergent before the water/vinegar/glycerine soaking. I used a dash of Dawn and water on it before soaking to remove the soap scum.

This really did a nice job of cleaning my brush and it held a lot more water afterwards.

Jerry
 
Rik,

It's okay to give them a "wash and a set"! I prefer using Borax, although I have not tried using a dish detergent or the vinegar rinse that Em recommended (I can't stand the smell of vinegar).

Randy
 
rtaylor61 said:
Rik,

It's okay to give them a "wash and a set"! I prefer using Borax, although I have not tried using a dish detergent or the vinegar rinse that Em recommended (I can't stand the smell of vinegar).

Randy

I just received my T&H turnback today and it says a light borax cleansing is good.

How much borax to water is best and what kind of borax (name brand and where to buy)
 
Sean,

I got my borax (20 Mule Power) at Wal Mart, on the cleaning supply aisle. I use one teaspon per cup of hot water. I add the powder first, then the water, and use the brush to stir it up. I let them soak for half an hour, usually stirring about every 10 minutes.

Randy
 
On new brushes, I use Johnson's baby shampoo (plenty of that at my house :smile: ), and then a conditioning treatment with some Taylor's Avocado. I guess you could use hair conditioner also. I have never used Borax, for what it is worth.
 
I used Borax the first time I cleaned my brush but Em's method worked much better for me!

Randy, I'm with you, I can't stand the smell of vineger. Thankfully, it didn't stay on the brush long at all.

Jerry
 
DoubleE said:
I used Borax the first time I cleaned my brush but Em's method worked much better for me!

Randy, I'm with you, I can't stand the smell of vineger. Thankfully, it didn't stay on the brush long at all.

Jerry

I'll have to give it a shot!

Randy
 
Just pitching in on the Dawn issue:

I recently out of desperation used Dawn on my trusty SMF brush and it worked like an absolute champ! Rinsing is key afterward to be sure you don't have any sudsiness left over, but it got all the hard-water residue out in short order.

-Rich
 
PoshRichM said:
Just pitching in on the Dawn issue:

I recently out of desperation used Dawn on my trusty SMF brush and it worked like an absolute champ! Rinsing is key afterward to be sure you don't have any sudsiness left over, but it got all the hard-water residue out in short order.

-Rich
Rich,
You're in Alabaster aren't you? That's what your brush turns to if you don''t have a water softener!!
 
guenron said:
Rich,
You're in Alabaster aren't you? That's what your brush turns to if you don''t have a water softener!!

Sad but true. I'm saving my pennies... I haven't seen a water-softener system for less than $600 that looks worth having. The good news is that a little table salt in my hot pot seems to be alleviating the buildup to a degree.

-Rich
 
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