How to: Clean a Shaving Brush

[mankini]

Great post Mdunn all I had was rice wine vinegar so I used that and it seems to have done fine.

The brush seems more full now as the hairs are in full bloom once again

Good show mate.

 

[gaseousclay]

Shampoo & conditioner really won't remove the buildup on the brush. Particularly the hard water deposits. If you insist on using just shampoo then something like Prell is your best bet since it is really designed to strip build up from your hair and logically does a better job on your brush. In fact, I don't use dish detergent - I use Prell and then a 10 minute soak in a solution of vinegar and water, an then back to the Prell and a nice hot rinse. Works like a charm. Done right you might even slightly detect that old badger smell again because your brush is so clean.

thanks for the tip. think i'll give my brush a nice dish soap/vinegar dip soon - I noticed she isn't as absorbant as she used to be.

 

[xehupatl]

 

[cfriend]

I am staying at a relatives house for the holidays. My brush feels a bit tacky or oily, and after I shower I feel like I haven't rinsed all of the soap from my skin. The relatives say this is because they have soft water. Is this the case? Regardless of the cause, can this tackiness/oiliness be remedied with this how-to?

 

[benvh]

I use Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo and it works great. I have super hard water and takes my brushes from no lather back to like-new condition.

 

[h2oman]

Very Nice, I have never even thought of cleaning my brush since it is always in soap. Great How Do

 

[Ciryandil]

works great! especially for the hard water deposits!

 

[huntmol]

Great writeup!

 

[soapbox]

mdunn--With a few (sadly, boring) changes to your humorous and pleasant prose, I'd love to see this become a wiki article. It's a very useful set of information. If you want some help, let me know.

 

[Kbennett]

I'm a believer. I used to shampoo every once in a great while 6-8 months, but after completing this technique on all four of my brushes, I can promise I won't be shampooing them again. All four are as soft as they have been in a very long time and look amazing.

A great and simple technique that everyone should know.

 

[Loner16]

Great post... And timely!

 

[bluefoxicy]

Dish detergent is basically SLS... actually, the cleaner I use is Sodium Laurel Sulfate, palm oil, coconut oil, spruce oil, fir needle oil, and water.

Shave soap contains SLS, palm oil, and other plant oils, and glycerin and stearic acid (tallow). Also caster oil (a cleaning oil).

This stuff's mainly the same, though I think the shave soap itself may clean a bit better

 

[Gafer]

Dish detergent is basically SLS... actually, the cleaner I use is Sodium Laurel Sulfate, palm oil, coconut oil, spruce oil, fir needle oil, and water.

Shave soap contains SLS, palm oil, and other plant oils, and glycerin and stearic acid (tallow). Also caster oil (a cleaning oil).

This stuff's mainly the same, though I think the shave soap itself may clean a bit better

Yes, the point of soaking in a solution of dish detergent before the vinegar is to thoroughly saturate the brush with water and loosen the built up soap scum. You probably could skip this step and go straight to the vinegar solution and never notice the difference.

 

[rm71]

Thanks for the post dunny! Will this work for boar brushes as well?

 

[Gafer]

Thanks for the post dunny! Will this work for boar brushes as well?

No, but this will....
View attachment 81361

Seriously, I'm sure it'll work fine on a boar brush.

 

[rm71]

No, but this will....
View attachment 81361

Seriously, I'm sure it'll work fine on a boar brush.

I've killed for less

 

[MisterDarcy]

Will this work as a pre-sale treatment? I have a brush that I will shortly be selling, and want to make sure it is in fine fettle before I present it on B/S/T.

 

[Banjobill]

I just thought about cleaning my brush this morning after feeling it getting a little icky.

I'l be making a visit to my local supermarket today me thinks!

 

[Bertilak]

I love it!

 

[RILEY]

I am going to follow your sage advice tonight on my Shavemac.
I will use white vinegar & dish soap as recommended.
Thank you Mdunn