With people boiling, soaking and baking their razors to sterilize them, there isn't much talk on what to to with vintage brushes. How do you clean them for use?
How to sanitize a used brush?
- Thread starter DamnFineBob
- Start date
I generally let them sit in a dilute borax solution for a couple hours, rinse real well then let that hairs soak in a dilute barbicide solution for about 10 minutes. Rinse that real good and do several lathers and call it good.
Never had any issues with barbicide on my brushes and that stuff will kill anything.
Never had any issues with barbicide on my brushes and that stuff will kill anything.
Most homes in North America are heated and air-conditioned. The humidity is often low enough to kill bacteria and threaten the lungs. In these conditions, it is possible to sterilize a shaving brush with only a wash in good soap, and a long drying time in relative humidity of less than 25%.
Many of us live in environments which are so dry, they would kill a camel.
Many of us live in environments which are so dry, they would kill a camel.
There's always those two:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=139297
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=115800
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=139297
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=115800
I know as been mentioned in this thread using barbicide but myself I'm just not comfortable with it for some reason. I guess if they don't say to do it I won't do it. Nor borax for some reason.
I'm comfortable with vinegar and dish soap. I lather the brush with the dish soap real good and then wash it out, then soak it in a warm cup of water with more soap added in afterwards for 5 minutes, then rinse, and then soak in 1 part vinegar 4 parts water solution with a dash of glycerin added to impart some extra softness for 10 minutes. After that I give it a rinse and a few test lathers after that and I'm fine.
Scientifically proven to work? No, but I feel comfortable with it and that's the biggest thing for most. It seems in my mind that it works good enough using the vinegar and giving it some time for anything that may be there to die out and soap doesn't promote the growing of germs if you clean it up right.
Really all this boils down to the most point is it's the thought of not knowing it's history and what horrible things may have happened that is unsettling so it is nice to have something known that will make sure there's no germs around, even when logic would dictate to us that things are fine when we really dig into the science.
All that out of the way, there are 2 retail products I've seen that claim to clean the brush and disinfect it. Gold Dachs Shaving Brush Cleaner and Classic Brand Shaving Brush Cleaner. They may be of interest although I haven't seen any talk of the Gold Dachs here, and a few comments on the Classic Brand cleaner in which the users weren't enthused with the price for it. No real qualms about how it performed though it seemed. How could you truly say it is sanitized without lab tests confirming it though too?
Okay I'm done! 
I'm comfortable with vinegar and dish soap. I lather the brush with the dish soap real good and then wash it out, then soak it in a warm cup of water with more soap added in afterwards for 5 minutes, then rinse, and then soak in 1 part vinegar 4 parts water solution with a dash of glycerin added to impart some extra softness for 10 minutes. After that I give it a rinse and a few test lathers after that and I'm fine.
Scientifically proven to work? No, but I feel comfortable with it and that's the biggest thing for most. It seems in my mind that it works good enough using the vinegar and giving it some time for anything that may be there to die out and soap doesn't promote the growing of germs if you clean it up right.
Really all this boils down to the most point is it's the thought of not knowing it's history and what horrible things may have happened that is unsettling so it is nice to have something known that will make sure there's no germs around, even when logic would dictate to us that things are fine when we really dig into the science.
All that out of the way, there are 2 retail products I've seen that claim to clean the brush and disinfect it. Gold Dachs Shaving Brush Cleaner and Classic Brand Shaving Brush Cleaner. They may be of interest although I haven't seen any talk of the Gold Dachs here, and a few comments on the Classic Brand cleaner in which the users weren't enthused with the price for it. No real qualms about how it performed though it seemed. How could you truly say it is sanitized without lab tests confirming it though too?
Okay I'm done! 
I use the dish washing, conditioner, vinegar treatment found at http://www.shaveinfo.com/videos/brush_cleaning.htm.
I have picked up a number of old brushes at antique (read junk) stores and was reminded on first washing that shave brushes were used by water color painters as well!! Often it would seem painters who smoked heavily as well! The Dawn wash and soak in very hot water done twice was effective in purging old paint/pigment. The handles cleaned nicely with tuffy plastic scrub pads. Then wash with dial antibacterial soap, let sit 10 min, rinse and repeat. After towel and shake drying I soaked the brush with 70% isopropyl alcohol and let air dry (in direct sunlight). Tobacco odor still lingered and an second soak in 4711 cologne water and a repeat air dry left it clean, sterile and sweet smelling. Before use a quick shampoo and use of rinse out hair conditioner resulted in a soft and effective brush. The handle did well with a light leather conditioning cream rubed in, dried and buffed.
I don't want to discourage anyone from taking precautions that might be sensible, even if the benefits are perceived rather than actual. After all, feeling good counts too!
But being a scientist, I'd want to know what specific pathogens and viruses we're worried about. And their life spans in the dormant state, and what kills them stone dead. And what the likelihood of encountering them in a brush (or on a razor for heaven's sake) really is.
I've always been fine with coarse brushing (for razors) and lots of detergent (for brushes) plus air and sunlight. If I hear something to give me reason for concern, I'll certainly reconsider!
= Bill
But being a scientist, I'd want to know what specific pathogens and viruses we're worried about. And their life spans in the dormant state, and what kills them stone dead. And what the likelihood of encountering them in a brush (or on a razor for heaven's sake) really is.
I've always been fine with coarse brushing (for razors) and lots of detergent (for brushes) plus air and sunlight. If I hear something to give me reason for concern, I'll certainly reconsider!
= Bill
i agree with you; i have taken cultures from a vintage brush and several vintage razors. the brush was just as it arrived in the mail, the razors had either been cleaned with scrubbing bubbles or were as arrived in the mail. no bacterial pathogens were identified on the cultures.
Excellent! I have thought of plating out an untreated brush but couldn't figure out how to convince our micro lab to do it on the cuff!! That is the defintive answer. It really relegates all this disinfecting to psychotherapy for all us bacteriophobes!!
Thanks!
Thanks!
actually i took cultures of 4 items- a vintage brush, an old razor sitting in a case, a razor i had used sitting in a rack, and the bathroom countertop. the only place pathogens grew were from the countertop- a scant growth of a bacteria rarely implicated in human infections. the razor in the rack grew normal oropharyngeal flora, the other 2 showed no growth. i don't think this information will make a big impact on what people do- as it seems fear trumps reason. those who need to put their gear thru "sterilization" procedures will probably continue to do so as it will make them feel more secure.
Thanks for all the links and videos. I just received a vintage brush I bought off the BST and was wondering how to sterilize it.
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