Does anyone let lather dry on a brush (synthetic) and re-wet it the next day?
Could this be a health hazard?
Could this be a health hazard?
Let lather dry on the brush and re-wet it the next day?
- Thread starter ErkRusselReserve
- Start date
I don't think it would be a health hazard but it might not be best for your brush. If you wanted to save the lather I'd recommend squeezing it out of the brush and back into the container it came from. Then rinsing your brush clean.
I learned this from our own @Rudy Vey and this post of his.
About Brush Cleaning and it's downfalls...
There was a thread started in the brush forum, and I made a post there. I think it is a good idea to read what I wrote, I post here what my post was about. I think it is important to read, and since I use a lot of wood in my brushes, this should be an educational piece for owner of my wooden...
www.badgerandblade.com
Personally I rinse my brushes after each use. @FarmerTan has a thread going about shaving like grandpa used to shave where he uses a brush and then leaves it in the soap dish with lather still on it. I don’t think it is as issue leaving the soap on the brushes but everyone has their own idea and opinions on what to after using a brush. If it bothers you then just rinse your brush and be done. If it doesn’t bother you then leave the soap on it. No dramas either way.
Whats the point of doing that? Shaving soaps are cheap and last very long.
When I was a kid, my old man had a, presumably, cheap wooden-handled brush and used to lather up on the bar of Cussons Imperial Leather face and hand soap that was at the bathroom sink. Sometimes he’d rinse it out, but more often than not, he stand up the brush still caked with lather and leave it until the following morning. He did that for at least 20 years, with no issues I’m aware of. Eventually, he discovered canned goo.
Don’t do that.
I don't think it's a health hazard, I just think it's impractical. Given the price of soap and the small amount left in the brush after a shave cost savings must be minuscule. And I know your simply not that lazy.
Just be warned: if you do this with a badger or boar brush there is a squad that shows up at your house and beats you about the head and shoulders! Not really - but we'll do it in our imaginations if you provide the opportunity. And it can't be great for the brush. Yes, your great-grandfather only had one old boar brush and he used it every day and always left it in the mug to dry at that crazy angle. I've seen them - and I wouldn't use one to clean my grout.
Seriously, I strongly recommend you don't do this.
Just be warned: if you do this with a badger or boar brush there is a squad that shows up at your house and beats you about the head and shoulders! Not really - but we'll do it in our imaginations if you provide the opportunity. And it can't be great for the brush. Yes, your great-grandfather only had one old boar brush and he used it every day and always left it in the mug to dry at that crazy angle. I've seen them - and I wouldn't use one to clean my grout.
Seriously, I strongly recommend you don't do this.
I rinse my brushes thoroughly after each shave. My understanding is that’s best for the bristles.
I did this in my first month of DE wetshaving not knowing better. I just used bar soap because I didn't have any shaving specific soap yet. Actually I just grated some Ivory/Dial/Zest into an old coffee mug and would just wet the brush every morning and use whatever was left in the mug and on the brush.
Honestly I don't think there is much of a health risk as I shave AFTER taking a shower and washing my face, so there's minimal germs still remaining on the skin. My brush, a synthetic, did not stink or smell off in any way. I only changed up my routine because I read about maintenance of nicer brushes made with badger or horse hair. I still sort of like the lazy, no-maintenance method.
So the gentleman in me says YES CLEAN YOUR BRUSH AFTER EVERY SHAVE. But the ruffian says it's not a huge deal if you skip the cleaning every now and then. After all, how many of you wash your toothbrush with Dawn after every use? I guarantee the inside of our mouths has a lot more germs in it than than our face surfaces.
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There is a growing number of B&B members dedicated to spending as little as possible to get a good shave, with some using shower soap scraps from around their homes as shaving soap. Saving the soap on a synthetic brush would potentially give you several more days of "free" shaves a year, and the potential damage to a synthetic brush is most likely minimal to non-existent. You could try and quantify the potential savings versus the cost of needing to purchase a new synthetic brush in the future. Still, I'd imagine in most scenarios, needing to buy a $15 brush would take a lot more time to achieve an ROI than the amount of soap saved by not rinsing. There probably isn't a health hazard, but possibly an "ick factor."
For what purpose would anyone want to do this? I honestly don't understand.
No maintenance is the primary appeal for me. I have already added about 15-20 minutes to my morning preparation before going to work by turning into a DE wetshaver. The ritual is enjoyable for me, but washing out my brush with Dawn is yet another delay before the commute.
Shall I post a picture of my latest experiment? Lol, no, not really an experiment, more of a "I'm too cheap to rinse this wunnerful leftover soap out of my brush" type of deal!
@wheatshocker gave me a nearly full jar of a "croap" I suppose one would call it. Shaved with it the other day. Truly nice stuff.
This is the before pic, I had taken a bit of soap/croap out with a butter knife.
I was AMAZED by the fact that I had more product after I shaved my incredibly handsome face than I had before I had whipped up a nice lather!
I can only come to two possible konklusions:
One: it is science, and therefore it is whatever majik you choose to believe,
Or, B: I have somehow stumbled upon a way to make croap reproduce by fission!
I personally am going with my second possible konklusion, because I like to think that my incredibly handsome face somehow played a role in this. Sadly I feel that Science gets too much credit for miracles these days, so I admit I am not an unbiased observer.
I will post a picture straight away of my left over soap/croap!
Thank you @ajkel64 for the "shout-out" as we say in the northern hemisphere!
PS: do your toilets still flush backwards? I had an Unkle that had that happen to him in the Rocky Mountains one time, and he said that it was a good thing he was so short, because the pressure was so great it went over his head! True story doggone. Or mostly. The good parts were based on a true story at least.
Here is the after picture. Possibly as much as 3 days after?
Notice please the fancy "editing" I did with my TracFone!
I've been taking lessons from my friend @sarimento1 , the king of photos here in my opinion. I used a vinaigrette (?) type of edit option, which tastes great on a Northern Hemisphere Salad, and also turns the corners of TracFone pictures a darker shade. Again, Science. Or Majik? I may never know for sure, but I will continue to experiment!
Notice please the fancy "editing" I did with my TracFone!
I've been taking lessons from my friend @sarimento1 , the king of photos here in my opinion. I used a vinaigrette (?) type of edit option, which tastes great on a Northern Hemisphere Salad, and also turns the corners of TracFone pictures a darker shade. Again, Science. Or Majik? I may never know for sure, but I will continue to experiment!
In understand. I was in your situation as well. My solution was to change my routine. No more shaving on busy weekday mornings for me, but a nice and relaxed evening shave. A good shave in the evening lasts me through the next workday for the most part.
5' o'clock shadow does kick in at about 4 pm, but who cares. I still look far more presentable then the 'designer stubble' and homeless looking bearded crowds that surround me on my daily subway commute home after a day of work
Have we run out of real topics to discuss?
How or why would this even be a thought?
How or why would this even be a thought?
I do the with my underwear.
Soap is alkaline, and my understanding is leaving it on or in the bristles will eventually cause them to become brittle and break. Probably why you see so many vintage boar brushes that look like a Barbie doll who has had its hair cut by a four year old.
Short answer, it won't hurt you, but you would be shortening the life of the brush.
Short answer, it won't hurt you, but you would be shortening the life of the brush.
Yes. And back in 'vintage times', a simple boar brush was just a tool to get a job done.
I'm fairly sure 'vintage guys' in the pre-internet days who used those brushes, did not meet in the local sport hall to discuss shaving related matters...
These brushes were fairly carelessly used. And after many, many, many years they were perhaps replaced with a new one.
Moral of the story: OP is not a vintage guy and he's likely here because he cares about shaving and his brushes. Don't leave the soap on. Clean that thing when you're done
