Cleaning the Brush - Remove the Odor

[Storm]

I have a nice silver-tip B&B 2008 brush. I have only had it for about six months. Using it daily with soaps and creams, mostly scented. It has a "wet towel" smell, which I'm pretty sure is not a badger smell. Just like the smell when you remember you left clothes in the washing machine two hours ago.

How best to clean it so I can enjoy my DR Harris Arlington scents?

 

[Rudy Vey]

Do you wash out your brush properly in warm water after use? Do you thoroughly dry it? Do not put a wet brush in a container, even a cabinet. let it air dry, I dry mine head down and keep them so. After the shave, I warm the brush so that all residue of cream or soap is removed, shake it out well and brush it over a towel, then hang it upside down. They all have a very, very faint smell from the last used cream when they still moist, but I hardly can make out a scent when they completely dry.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Make you leave it out hanging on the counter/sink or on a shelf were airflow can get to it. I leave the blinds open in my shave den so daylight can come in. I don't put the brush/stand in the window sill, I just leave it out so some of the US rays bouncing around can possibly hit it.

 

[mdunn]

yeah, sounds like its not been dried out properly.

Give it a swish in a diluted vinegar mix, rinse, then lather up some shampoo and rinse that out. That should clear the smell. Then just make sure its fully dried before going anywhere closed.

 

[Schwert]

Soap it up well, then rinse and shake.

I have taken my brush and put a long loop of string around it and hung it on a towel bar suspended over the floor air duct. No too close to heat register, but well within the air flow. That should dry it well.

 

[Hoos]

I'll direct you to[URL="http://www.shaveinfo.com/videos/brush_cleaning.htm"http://www.shaveinfo.com/videos/brush_cleaning.htm]the brush cleaning videos at Em's Place.[/URL] The vinegar wash should deodorize your brush just fine. If not, you can try the borax wash.

It also helps, I've found, if you periodically leave them in a sunny place to dry after you've used and rinsed them (once a month seems to work fine).

 

[Storm]

Thanks all

 

[rbaloha]

Recently experienced the omega boar stink. Fabreze worked well. Significantly reduced the smell in one day.

The other thread suggestions are also valid. IMO the key is to wash the brush in hot water after every usage and make sure the brush has good airflow.

 

[whitecrane7]

I had this same problem with 2 different brushes. I cared for them as described: washed, dried, hung, conditioned, sun soaked, you name it and they still smelled bad.

As noted elsewhere, tried an overnight soak is hot water and a tablespoon or so of 20 mule team borax and the smell went away forever. YMMV.