Wash Your Brush!

[MartialArtist]

It just occurred to me that new brushes can be a problem for good lathering. My thinking is this:

1) Natural hair from real mammals will have sebaceous secretions (skin oils) on them. While I'm sure the hair is cleaned in some way before it is used, that cleaning may have some issues.
1a) If the cleaning is too mild, the oils will still be present.
1b) If the cleaning is harsh, it will leave the hair damaged, maybe even brittle like a bad perm.
1c) If the cleaning is accomplished with non water soluble agents, they will also cause problems.

2a) If the oils are still there, they will form micelles with your shaving soap, that means less lather for you because oils are bound up in the soap.
2b) Damaged hair will take up the saponified fatty acids into the cutex of the hair and your lather will be lessened. Magnesium or calcium from harsh cleaning with also react irreversibly with soap and make it precipitate out of solution.
2c) Organic cleansers will interact with the soap, which is the same thing the oils in 1a do.

It is key to good wet shaving that your brand new brush must be conditioned by washing with mild shampoo, maybe several times, prior to its first use. If the hair seems brittle or damaged, it may not even be useable. But it at least needs some conditioners to try to close the cutex before using.

WASH YOUR BRUSHES BEFORE THEIR FIRST USE.

 

[duderubble]

I think this is pretty much the recommendation I have seen here over and over. But with less nerd-talk, lol. Just kidding you, but you couldn't read too many threads around here without figuring out that washing and test lathering a few times is the standard line about new brushes.

 

[MartialArtist]

I checked that there were no threads particularly on this topic before posting this. As to the proper terminology, GIYF lol.

 

[Jeremydelagarza]

so how do most people wash there new brush? I have never bought a new brush. I have some new knots coming in soon and should I wash those before i put them into the handle? what should i wash it with if i do wash it?

 

[Klarion]

Washing? I just produce a few test lathers, before I ever try to use a new brush. Works fine. Releases a lot of odor if there is any, and helps break in boar brushes.

 

[Eeyore]

I've never done anything special. Just clean with a bit of shampoo before first use.

 

[Jeremydelagarza]

so no wash from Klarion and a light shampoo from Johnat1968... should we have a poll who washes a new brush and who does nothing???????????????

 

[james23p]

I just lathered up my two boar brushes a few times using C. O. Bigelow since it has a strong menthol smell and it kills any odors in the brush. My two badger brushes never had an odor so I just lathered them up with Williams mug shaving soap.

Jim

 

[Useless shaver]

Washing? I just produce a few test lathers, before I ever try to use a new brush. Works fine. Releases a lot of odor if there is any, and helps break in boar brushes.

Same here.

 

[MartialArtist]

If they do not smell then they are probably pretty clean. The test lathers probably clean them enough. If they smell like a wet weasel or wet pig, I use my dog's deodorant shampoo on them. That seems to get the oils odors out.

 

[urkel]

Washing them with a few test lathers using a hard soap and I let the lather stay in the brush over night. After that I just use it every other day. I need a new brush to break in...........

 

[Klarion]

so no wash from Klarion and a light shampoo from Johnat1968... should we have a poll who washes a new brush and who does nothing???????????????

It's not a "no wash" as you might think. Look at things this way: 1) soak in hot water, 2) load with inexpensive soap or cream, 3) vigorous palm lather. Now, I normally do 1 or 2 test lathers at a time, over numerous sessions. Do you think that doesn't get a brush clean? Since my favorite brushes are boar bristle, it also helps the break in process, and makes it very easy to judge how to produce a lather with a particular brush when time comes.

 

[Jeremydelagarza]

Well yes that is a wash. thanks.

 

[ackvil]

First,I wet the brushes and take a bit of liquid dishwashing soap and apply it to the wet brush. I gently massage the brush and then rinse out under warm water. I apply a tiny bit of hair conditioner to the brush and then take the brush and soak in plain warm water for a few minutes gently pumping it up and down to get our more of the dishwashing soap. I then soak the brushes in a solution I of about an ounce of white vinegar, a squirt of glycerin, and warm water again gently pumping the brush up and down in the solution. Another rinse,shake, gently rub the brush around a soft towel and let dry. I have been doing this for years after reading about it some time ago.

I find that doing this for a new brush results seems to make the brush perform better (of course that could be my imagination.)

 

[ChiefBroom]

First, great OP.

First,I wet the brushes and take a bit of liquid dishwashing soap and apply it to the wet brush. I gently massage the brush and then rinse out under warm water. I apply a tiny bit of hair conditioner to the brush and then take the brush and soak in plain warm water for a few minutes gently pumping it up and down to get our more of the dishwashing soap. I then soak the brushes in a solution I of about an ounce of white vinegar, a squirt of glycerin, and warm water again gently pumping the brush up and down in the solution. Another rinse,shake, gently rub the brush around a soft towel and let dry. I have been doing this for years after reading about it some time ago.

I find that doing this for a new brush results seems to make the brush perform better (of course that could be my imagination.)

Hey Jim, what does the glycerin contribute in solution with vinegar and water? And what relational proportions of vinegar and water do you use?

 

[musicman1951]

Memory fails me, but someone posted about cleaning in dawn dish washing soap and leaving the brush for a number of hours to soak. Then build a lather and leave it overnight. I'm not 100% - that memory thing again - but if you're interested I'm sure you could find the post.

Buy an SOC and you won't have to worry about that retched smell.

 

[coryforsenate]

I did the soap soak followed by the lather with overnight drying for my brush.

 

[ChiefBroom]

I did the soap soak followed by the lather with overnight drying for my brush.

I started out doing that, but stopped. Somewhere I picked up a concern that it might not always be a good idea. Worked great for de-funking though.

 

[ackvil]

First, great OP.



Hey Jim, what does the glycerin contribute in solution with vinegar and water? And what relational proportions of vinegar and water do you use?

The glycerin allows the water and vinegar solution to be more readily absorbed by the brush and gets rid of any traces of the dishwashing solution. To read about all the properties of glycerin look here. I use approximately one ounce of vinegar to enough water to cover the brush to the handle. You don't have to be too exact.

A while back one B&Ber told me that after washing the brush he puts it in the solution I mentioned above in an ultrasonic cleaner for about 30 seconds. I have never tried that, however.

 

[ChiefBroom]

Thanks

The glycerin allows the water and vinegar solution to be more readily absorbed by the brush and gets rid of any traces of the dishwashing solution. To read about all the properties of glycerin look here. I use approximately one ounce of vinegar to enough water to cover the brush to the handle. You don't have to be too exact.

A while back one B&Ber told me that after washing the brush he puts it in the solution I mentioned above in an ultrasonic cleaner for about 30 seconds. I have never tried that, however.