Sanitize that USED brush!

[sempra]

I bought a used brush and decided to sanitize it with Chlorhexidine left over from an outpatient surgery episode. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic used pre-surgery. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorhexidine for a discussion of its antiseptic use. It is used as an oral antiseptic so it should be ok to sanitize a brush.



But first, a good scrub using liquid dishwashing detergent.



Then a good wash with the Chlorhexidine.



Then a good rinse and apply a little conditioner.



And we are done! About 5 minutes and I now feel comfortable "using" a used brush. The Chlorhexidine does not seem to have any detrimental effect on the brush. YMMV, so try it out on a cheap brush before you use it on that $200 used bargain that you couldn't resist!

Now if I could just get the pictures to not rotate on me...

Mitch
(sempra)

 

[pipskicks]

I use Mar-V-Cide

 

[sempra]

What is the active ingredient in Mar-V-Cide?

 

[LegionPrime]

What is the active ingredient in Mar-V-Cide?

Real genuine non imitation free range Marv?

 

[Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt]

Hibiclens smells nice too.

 

[sempra]

Based on the warning on the Mar-V-Cide label, I don't want to use it on my brush, it is CORROSIVE!!!
Here is the warning:
DANGER: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
CORROSIVE. Causes irreversible eye damage and skin burns. Harmful if swallowed. Do not get ineyes,onskinoronclothing. Weareyeprotection(faceshieldorgoggles),protectiveclothing,and rubbergloves. Washthoroughlywithsoapandwaterafterhandlingandbeforeeating,drinking,chewing gum, or using tobacco. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse.

 

[cb91710]

Barbicide is similar.

Not a serious chemical at normal concentrations, but it's not something you want to get into the habit of being sloppy with.

 

[rxonmymind]

Wouldn't vinegar work? That's been a great household cleaner for ages. That and lemon, salt, and baking soda. Proof? Lemon and rough sea salt removes rust from cast iron instant benefit of cooking with it right away and no harsh chemicals. Same with vinegar

 

[TCP]

.............. It is used as an oral antiseptic so it should be ok to sanitize a brush.


Mitch
(sempra)

Was wondering if you thought Listerine would fill the bill?

 

[pipskicks]

I've seen plenty on this board get it verified that marv-cide is ok for brushes, just water it down right, some people dip their brushes very often...

Remember barbacide is just as corrosive if not more and barbershops put clippers and even plastic brushes in it...

 

[pipskicks]

I think there's a list of cleaners on the wiki. Vinegar cleans well but I think the OP wanted to kill any viruses etc.

 

[njpaddy]

I'm not a germaphobe. A couple of test lathers with a shave soap followed by a short soak in diluted vinegar to soften it up is good enough for me.

 

[sempra]

Listerine has high alcohol content, I think 20% or so, as does most mouthwash. The alcohol will dry the brush out, which in my opinion, is not good. Plus, the AWFUL smell. Why not just use alcohol, the 90% kind (180 proof) you can find occasionally, not the 70% (140 proof) watered down stuff.

(As an aside, I can't understand why anyone would use mouthwash with high alcohol content which dries their mouth, causing bad breath, and the need to use more mouthwash! Ever wonder why babies don't have bad breath? The drool A LOT, flushing their mouths so no bad breath.)

Mitch
(sempra)

 

[JCinPA]

I'm not a germaphobe. A couple of test lathers with a shave soap followed by a short soak in diluted vinegar to soften it up is good enough for me.

This. We're not doing surgery here. And the thing gets cleaned every time you use it, it's shaving soap!

 

[cb91710]

I think there's a list of cleaners on the wiki. Vinegar cleans well but I think the OP wanted to kill any viruses etc.

Bacteria and mold that may be growing down in the knot is the issue. Viruses do not live long outside of the body. Hep-C is one of the most durable and it's dead after 10 days.
Viral infection is not a problem on used shaving equipment.

Fortunately, bacteria are not that difficult to deal with. Alcohol-based cleaners, Barbicide, etc....



On lemon and salt removing rust, that is simply a chemical reaction. Lemon and vinegar are acidic, and they will clean, etch, and eventually dissolve metal. Just because something removes rust, lime, and scale does not always mean it is a good sanitizing cleaner. Lemons will harbor mold and other bacterial growth as quickly as any other organic item.

 

[pipskicks]

Bacteria and mold that may be growing down in the knot is the issue. Viruses do not live long outside of the body. Hep-C is one of the most durable and it's dead after 10 days.
Viral infection is not a problem on used shaving equipment.

Fortunately, bacteria are not that difficult to deal with. Alcohol-based cleaners, Barbicide, etc....



On lemon and salt removing rust, that is simply a chemical reaction. Lemon and vinegar are acidic, and they will clean, etch, and eventually dissolve metal. Just because something removes rust, lime, and scale does not always mean it is a good sanitizing cleaner. Lemons will harbor mold and other bacterial growth as quickly as any other organic item.

Yeah and I believe a member on here sent his brush to get work on it and found it had mold in it, so he washes it with Marv-Cide frequently, maybe he'll chime in.

I didn't know vinegar killed all that, nor soap. I guess alcohol does though, not sure if either is safer, but my brush always feels completely fine after the Marv-Cide (I dilute it according to directions too).

 

[LegionPrime]

(As an aside, I can't understand why anyone would use mouthwash with high alcohol content which dries their mouth, causing bad breath, and the need to use more mouthwash! Ever wonder why babies don't have bad breath? The drool A LOT, flushing their mouths so no bad breath.)

Mitch
(sempra)

Actually it's more that the alcohol lowers the Ph of your mouth making it more hospitable to bacteria which actually magnifies halitosis. You're right that a dry mouth will also encourage bacterial growth, but that's more an issue of hydration. It's also one of the reasons that I advocate a big glass of water first thing in the morning, I usually will drink at least a gallon of water over the course of a day.

 

[Sully2]

Hot water wash followed by a wash in Listerine!

 

[sempra]

A gallon of water? I already have "Old Man's Disease". Now a gallon of coffee, yes (even though it makes the OMD much worse)!

Mitch

 

[GearHead_1]

I'm not making this a recommendation to anyone. It's more a try at your own risk should you desire. I sterilize my brushes in Marvicde every month or so. I let them soak (the whole brush) for about 2 minutes followed by a very thorough bowl lather and warm water rinse. I've noticed no side effects with my skin or problems with the brushes (I had heard tale of this turning faux Ivory brushes blue but I have two and this hasn't been the case). Now maybe somewhere down the road I'll develop a third eye or something but until then... Could this shorten the life of the brush? Perhaps, but they'll be clean for as long as I have them. YMMV