What's new

Disinfecting a brush

proxy.php


YIKES!! I am rotating thru a rural family practice rotation this month and saw a patient (NOT this one, but it looked pretty similar) who got tinea barbae from, it turns out after careful history, his shaving brush.

Since then, I’ve been wondering a bit about how to go about sterilizing a brush, especially given my new acquisition disorder and a growing tendency to buy used brushes. After searching around, I found two main options: 1) use Borax, 2) use Barbicide.

After looking into it further, I decided to try the barbicide on my shavemac silvertip custom. There’s a lot of information and misinformation around about using this product on a brush. So I went to Sally’s Beauty Supply to get me some. As luck would have it, there was a current barber moonlighting at the Sally’s I went to (a man in a Sally’s!) and he explained to me how to do it.

proxy.php


It's found in all Sally's down the right-most aisle as you enter the store, down from the register.

To his credit, he explained you could use this or there was another cheaper variant there for $3.99. The only problem was that the cheaper stuff wasn’t likely to fight fungi (Trichophyton spp = tinea barbae), which are the most likely culprit in a shaving brush, NOT bacteria. In fact, that’s why I decided to start sanitizing my brush regularly, because of that patient with a pretty wicked case of tinea barbae from his shaving brush. So…

First, you mix one lid-full of the stuff in 8 oz of water…

proxy.php


It’s important that you get the strength right, as the soaking directions and therefore the sanitizing qualities are dependent on this ratio. Once you have it mixed up, you stick the brush bristles in (IMPORTANT: NOT the handle NOR the knot) and let it sit from 2 (two) to 4 (four) minutes total.

proxy.php


proxy.php


The time is important, as he said that if you leave it too long it can affect properties of the brush that are unique to shaving. Normal stuff like metal razors, combs, plastic guides, and so forth could be kept in the stuff longer, but he said it's not great form to leave a badger brush in for more than 5 minutes max at a time. Apparently some of the water holding qualities can be affected, as well as he said there are always rumors, although he's never seen it personally, that the stuff can stain some brushes.

After it’s soaked, you pick it up, let it drip dry…

proxy.php


And then rinse it THOROUGHLY under warm-ish tap water. The thorough rinse part is very important.

proxy.php


He said sometimes people can use a very soft soap/shampoo, like baby shampoo, if you want to just to make sure.

proxy.php

Just drop the shampoo on and lather it in your hand like you would lather a cream – this will properly ‘shampoo’ the brush.

BEFORE:
proxy.php


AFTER:
proxy.php


The point of these two photos is to show that the bristles are NOT stained blue, as some have postulated. At least not on THIS brush. Again, the ever present YMMV applies.

While I was at it, he said that for other stuff, you just take the same solution and plop whatever it is you want to disinfect in there and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes.

proxy.php


There is an “anti-rust formula” in this stuff, whatever the heck that means. But I figured I may as well do the rest of my kit while at it. I tried soaking my sensor and mach3 handles, and surprisingly it took all the soap and cream scum off the handles! I usually have to scrub this scum stuff off the razor to keep it clean, but this barbicide stuff did it with just a 10 minute soak – totally clean!

Not bad really. Everyone’s results may differ, of course, but the fact it kills Trichophyton spp is what does it for me, as after seeing that beard fungus in that fella, I decided I’ll just be on the safe side. If it matters, this stuff also does HBV, HCV, HIV-1, Staph aureus (for all you folks worried about skin bacteria and MRSA), and other less-common but still very dangerous pathogens. Indeed, in proper mix ratios, this stuff is used as a full-strength HOSPITAL disinfectant. Good enough for me.

Hope this helps. We'll see how this works out in the long run... :redface:
 
Wow, I never thought about catching something from a my brush. I wonder if the consistant use of a high alchohol content aftershave would help prevent this type of thing as well.
 
That's the first time I ever heard of someone catching something from a brush. How do we know that's the case? Did they test the brush or did they just assume it was the cause?
 
During and Pre-WWI, horse-hair was commonly used in shaving brushes, and there was an issue at the time of transmission of cutaneous Anthrax. It was at that time that shave brushes began being sterilized and use of horse hair was largely abandoned in shave brushes.

-- John Gehman
 
I have also been sterilizing my brush on a weekly basis and often sterilize my razors,
combs, brushes, scissors etc.
I use Marvicide from the marvy company and mix up a batch to fill up a barbers sanitizing jar.
Looks like a barber shop in my bathroom :smile:

Before I started doing this I had some problems with my face. Very mild red patches and after doing this it cleared up.

I thought I was getting a little obsessive about cleaning my brushes and other stuff but from the pic I guess i was doing the correct thing.

Bruce
 
Im glad I read this because I do notice lately that I am getting these mild small red bumps on my face. I thought it was the swirling action irritating my face but now im going to get something to eliminate this. thanks for the post.

I have also been sterilizing my brush on a weekly basis and often sterilize my razors,
combs, brushes, scissors etc.
I use Marvicide from the marvy company and mix up a batch to fill up a barbers sanitizing jar.
Looks like a barber shop in my bathroom :smile:

Before I started doing this I had some problems with my face. Very mild red patches and after doing this it cleared up.

I thought I was getting a little obsessive about cleaning my brushes and other stuff but from the pic I guess i was doing the correct thing.

Bruce
 
We found the fungi in the brush. Perhaps I should clarify my statement: he did not actually get the infection FROM the brush as in it was hiding in there the whole time. What most likely happened in HIS case was that he was leaving the brush wet in a damp, dark bathroom downstairs, and the fungus got set up in the brush, and then the nicks you get from shaving allowed the fungus to transfer from the brush to infect his face.

It's not like fungus magically pops out of the hairs or anything. It's just that in his case, a damp brush not allowed to dry, stored in a dark, moist location...

Just like mold infections following the Hurricane Katrina event. The spores for the fungus is always around, the only thing is our immune systems are normally able to combat them, AND our possessions are normally not conducive to transmitting the bad bugs, ie usually not kept wet in a dark basement.

Sorry for any confusion.
 
I always "paint" my brush dry a couple swipes on a dry towel and put it up high right near the bathroom window and always keep it open. It is way dry before even 12 hours had elapsed. Im still going to get this barbicide stuff though. Ive been getting mild red bumps and i know its from the brush one way or another.
 
Hey guys I'm going to get this barbicide stuff right now and disinfect my brush. Whats the final word on the knot, dip it or no? Should I leave it in 5 min or 10 min? Then Im going to clean my brush EM style with dishwashing soap and vinegar, i only have the distilled white vinegar here and not the apple cidar vinegar.
 
Interesting post. Guys have been shaving using brushes for many many years and never disinfect brushes and nothing happens and so one guy has a problem because he didn't properly care for his brush and guys go and panic. If this has you spooked you had better never use a public restroom unless you have a pack of disinfectint wipes with you.
 
Interesting post. Guys have been shaving using brushes for many many years and never disinfect brushes and nothing happens and so one guy has a problem because he didn't properly care for his brush and guys go and panic. If this has you spooked you had better never use a public restroom unless you have a pack of disinfectint wipes with you.

You know I was just thinking about how guys here have been using brushes for over 20 years (the same one) and just clean it with vinegar and soap and are fine. So im just going to do that right now with distilled white vinegar and warm water.

But the thing is, even properly caring for the brush doesnt rid of the fungi thats in there or could be in there.
 
Interesting post. Guys have been shaving using brushes for many many years and never disinfect brushes and nothing happens and so one guy has a problem because he didn't properly care for his brush and guys go and panic. If this has you spooked you had better never use a public restroom unless you have a pack of disinfectint wipes with you.

Please forgive me, then. It was not my intent to work people into a panic. I merely noticed when I looked it up for my own information that there was no instruction on how to clean a brush with barbicide, so I found out how and posted it in the hopes it would help others who might be interested.

That was my only intent. To provide information on how to clean a brush with barbicide.
 
phil a minyahn said:
Since then, I’ve been wondering a bit about how to go about sterilizing a brush, especially given my new acquisition disorder and a growing tendency to buy used brushes. After searching around, I found two main options: 1) use Borax, 2) use Barbicide.

Great information on keeping things sanitary and ourselves healthy. Now I'm curious about the disinfecting properties of borax, since I have that on hand and use it to clean my brushes occasionally. I put about 2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of warm water and stir it up.

Does anybody know if this ratio is good enough to disinfect besides just cleaning? And I only leave the brush soaking for about 30 sec. which makes me wonder if that's long enough.
 
this is good information and even though the chances of contracting a fungal infection from a brush may be slight, i say knowledge is power.

FWIW, i bought some barbicide at sally's and went through the procedure. it was fast, easy and my brush is no worse for the experience..plus i have some additional peace of mind. that's more than worth the modest time and expense.
 
I spend so much money on my brushes that putting it in a barbacide soak sort of frightens me, but I guess it makes sense. Ill stick to borax and baby shamp though.
 
I'm not too worried about fungi because I'm very carefull to let my brush dry properly between uses. I always shake the heck out of it, then let it dry hanging upside down. I think the best defense is not providing a good home for fungi.

As for Bacteria, I'm not worried... since we are using the brush to whip up a thick healthy lather of soap... which also happens to be the way one disinfects one's hands (washing with soap lather).
 
i always let my brush dry in an open place after i shake the crap out of it (shaken brush syndrome) lol i currently have 2 decent brushes but after this i feel i need more i have a kent bk-4 and a b&b 2006 both great brushes
 
Top Bottom