I just started noticing that a couple of my brushes (chubby 2 and silvertip 24mm tgn) have soap leftover on the tips of the brushes after I use them. No matter how long I rinse and shake them out it feels like there's still a bit of soap left on the tips and as I let them dry, the tips get a bit hard until I give it a few swirls on my palm, then they soften back up again. I'm wondering, is this normal?
Soap remnants on the brush
- Thread starter Allegrabene
- Start date
I've not had that problem with any of my brushes, nor with any of the soaps which I use. Is this perhaps something which is related to the soap you are using? Then again, are you rinsing in cold or hot water?
When I am done with my shave, I thorougly rinse the brush using warm or moderately hot water, including running the water into the top of the brush so as to get the soap out which may be deep in the bristles. After shaking it out and squeezing it, I also gently scrub the brush on a dry towel before hanging it to dry.
When I am done with my shave, I thorougly rinse the brush using warm or moderately hot water, including running the water into the top of the brush so as to get the soap out which may be deep in the bristles. After shaking it out and squeezing it, I also gently scrub the brush on a dry towel before hanging it to dry.
- Thread starter
- #3
Use moderately warm water to rinse it and take care to get down to the deeper parts of the brush. I shampooed it to see if that would get rid of remnants but when it dried the tips were still hard. Only been using the one brush for a couple of months
There is a "sticky" in the brush forum for cleaning s brush, try the method shown, it works great. Also lightly swirling the brush on a towel after rinsing may help your problem.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks. The swirl on a towel is the only step I'm missing in all the guidance so I'll give that a try. I've followed the steps in the sticky with dish soap and vinegar as well. Still crunchy on top. That's why I made a post. Just want to see if anyone else has this experience. It definitely doesn't sound right
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Some brushes just have sort of crispy tips when they dry. My Savile Row is like this. If that's all it is, it's not a problem. If you truly have soap residue building up in your brush, you'll want to clean your brush periodically, because the soap can damage the hairs eventually causing the brush to begin shedding.
- Thread starter
- #8
I think that's all it is. As soon as I give it a swirl on my palm it goes away. And it's only with two of my bigger loft, denser brushes. I'm not hanging them, just letting them sit on their base. And the brushes are badger not boar
I have the same problem and it is only on my silvertip. I have never had it happen to my best or boar.
- Thread starter
- #10
Same for me, just on the silvertip. My boars are ok as it pertains to this
Are you sure it is soap? Curly tips will clump together naturally in much the way you describe. With a mix of straight and curly tips this can make the brush feel sort of crispy when dry: I have a Rooney super like that. With mostly curly hairs they dry like cement: I have a TGN finest like that.
I have this on my silvertips too and first thought it was soap residue on the tips that I couldn't get off, but I think it's just the "gel tips" that silvertips are known for that make it feel slick. I think they get hard after drying because they are clumped together.
my adopted rooney has crispy tips as well
Crispy tips, IME, have meant uber-soft (or gel like if you will) tips when wet. I don't know why it happens, but I take it as a good sign when one of my new brushes drys that way after its first test lather.
- Thread starter
- #15
Thanks for the feedback. I feel better about it now then
As others have mentioned, it is rather prevalent. Most of my brushes exhibit the same thing.
Never experienced this. I clean my brush by running warm water into a Marvy bowl and agitating the brush in it, pouring out the water and refilling the bowl a few times as I go. Takes less than half a minute and gives a really deep clean, I feel.
The thing to really watch for is soap build up deep inside the knot. If you notice a white residue at the base of the knot where it goes into the handle this can cause problems with the hairs and will require an actual "cleaning".
I would say that all my brushes actually feel a little crisp while drying.. I check my brushes after ~12hrs drying and my Simpsons/Semogues/TGNs all are a little crisp until I brush them in the palm of my hand.
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