Cleaning your brush.

[DoubleE]

Don't forget to clean those shaving brushes from time to time!! It's amazing how much more water they will hold after a good cleaning. The best method I've found was given to me by Emily at Em's Place:

Soak the brush in a mild solution of water and Dawn dishwashing liquid to cut the soap scum.

Mix another solution of 9 parts water, one part white vinegar. Add a dash of glycerin, which can be purchased at just about any drug store. I let the brush soak for around 15 minutes, shake it, and let it dry.

You'll be amazed how soft and absorbent your brush will be.

 

[ratcheer]

This makes a lot of sense. I've tried shampoo and I've tried borax. I think the shampoo is too mild for the problem at hand (soap scum). Dawn is more than up to the task. Followed by an acid bath, the brush should be much cleaner.

I'm up for it.

Tim

 

[RichGem]

I like the (presumably mostly borax) cleaning powder available at classicshaving.com. If I really want to treat my brush, I follow it up with a little shampoo and then conditioner. Like new when I'm done.

 

[Porcine]

Thanks for the easy-to-follow brush cleaning method. I was using the classic shaving packets, which were fine but messy. This is a much less expensive alternative.

Best,
Porcine

 

[galpman]

Thanks for the easy-to-follow brush cleaning method. I was using the classic shaving packets, which were fine but messy. This is a much less expensive alternative.

Best,
Porcine

+1 cleaned mine today using this method. WOW. really bloomed nicely and water retention appears terrific in my C&E Best Badger.

 

[ada8356]

I picked up a whole box of 20 Mule Borax at Target for less than $3... and when I say box I'm talking like a laundry detergent size box (that's the section it is in too).

So, I'm not sure what classic is selling, but Borax certainly isn't expensive.

 

[Doc4]

I clean my brush every day!

... with a nice sandalwood soap from Taylor's of Old Bond Street.

 

[Magruder]

Soak the brush in a mild solution of water and Dawn dishwashing liquid to cut the soap scum.

Okay, I was inspired by this, and I just cleaned my brushes. In the process, I used the brushes to whip up a good lather from dish soap!

It was just the natural thing to do after I squirted the dish soap into my lathering bowl. (Lathering bowl was the right size for soaking the brushes.)

 

[Magruder]

A lesson learned here. My brushes came out fine, but as it happened, I was trying out an unscented soap from Honeybee Sue on my first shave after cleaning. About halfway through it Dawned on me that I was "enjoying" the lingering scent of vinegar.

A dab of Proraso on the brush cured that.

 

[JokerJon]

What with not being able to get Dawn in England, but with Fairy liquid being made by P&G too. I wanted to know what the percentages of anionic and nonionic surfactants were in Dawn, just to make sure I'm not about to ruin a new brush needlessly.

Thanks

 

[ratcheer]

What with not being able to get Dawn in England, but with Fairy liquid being made by P&G too. I wanted to know what the percentages of anionic and nonionic surfactants were in Dawn, just to make sure I'm not about to ruin a new brush needlessly.

Well, I don't have any exact figures to give you, but Dawn is known as a particularly strong dishwashing liquid. It is supposed to be a super grease cutter. Maybe its all just ad hype, but it does seem to be very aggressive at removing grease.

Tim

 

[letterk]

Well, I don't have any exact figures to give you, but Dawn is known as a particularly strong dishwashing liquid. It is supposed to be a super grease cutter. Maybe its all just ad hype, but it does seem to be very aggressive at removing grease.

Tim

Correct. It's what is commonly recomended to strip the wax off a cars finish.

Personally, I just use shampoo for maintenance (works for my hair ). New brushes get a different treatment if they're overly stinky.

 

[Jfala]

I too purchased an entire box of 20 Mule Borax at the market for around $4, not a bad deal. Cleaned two of my brushes in it last night, and my goodness did they bloom - more like sprouted. Plus, they are now nice and clean. About 1/4 cup of Borax to 3 cups of warm water. Swished them around until the bristles felt clean.

- Jeff

 

[TightLines]

Which has a greater tendency to befoul a brush, cream or soap ? or are they about the same ?

 

[Notsooldman]

I've not tried the Borax method but Ems approach worked well for me, although the vinegar smell lingered longer than I would have liked. Does the Borax leave your brush just as clean but without the smell? Thanks.

 

[biomesh]

I've not tried the Borax method but Ems approach worked well for me, although the vinegar smell lingered longer than I would have liked. Does the Borax leave your brush just as clean but without the smell? Thanks.

The only smell that I have noticed is that of a stronger smelling cream that I use. (TOBS Sandalwood)

 

[DoubleE]

I've not tried the Borax method but Ems approach worked well for me, although the vinegar smell lingered longer than I would have liked. Does the Borax leave your brush just as clean but without the smell? Thanks.

I used Borax a couple of times before using Em's suggestion and the Borax comes close to cleaning it like Em's method. But, you do avoid the vinegar smell.

 

[hereandnow]

Add a dash of glycerin, which can be purchased at just about any drug store.

I'm just curious....what does the glycerine do to the brush?

 

[Roman414]

This thread really mystifies me. My oldest brush is at least twenty ears old, and I have never cleaned it or any other. I mean, the only things it ever touches are my face and soap. I am cleaning the brush every time I lather with it. I rinse the residual soap out of it and shake it after every shave. Where does all the pollution you guys refer to come from? Do you eat a lot of tacos or something? I have been in the bathroom fingering all my brushes and they FEEL clean...

 

[echophonic]

For those of you with an ultrasonic cleaner and no problem with being MacGyver, here's something that I rigged in about 1 minute which works pretty darn well. You can adjust it so that the handle is *just barely* out of the water, providing a pretty close clean.
Roman, I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but these creams have a lot more in there than your average hand soap. Remember, many add lanolin, moisturizers, etc to provide a great shave. This is probably what you are feeling when you say it "feels clean." Once I started using an UC to clean these things, I was amazed at how much cloudy stuff comes out of the brushes. Remember-- razors get soap scum on them that you have to clean off, why wouldn't your brushes?
Remember-- don't submerse the knot or higher-- the cleaner can dislodge the adhesive, rendering damage to your brush.