Cleaning a Badger Brush

Mark Watterson said:
Gents,

I have lost count of the number of times we have received brushes returned to us deemed as faulty through excess bristle loss when on closer examination & in around 99.9% of the cases the knot has been poorly maintained or not cared for properly.

The most important aspect post shave is the thorough cleaning of the brush, primarily the knot.

Rinse through thoroughly, the downward stream of clean warm water from the tap into the centre of the knot, but not too violent with the speed at which the bristles are rinsed - a slow flow if you will.

Squeeze the base off the knot gently & repeat until you are absolutely certain all soap or cream residue has been removed.

Shake the brush carefully & gently stroke the bristles side to side on a soft towel to remove any excess moisture.

Leave to stand the brush (or hang) in a well vented space, not a dark stagnant cupboard & preferably next to a slightly open window to ensure a good airflow through the bristles for quicker drying.

Rotate between a minimum of two brushes allowing a minimum 48 hour drying time window between shaves.

When completely dry it's always good to give the knot an occasional comb to dislodge any loose or short hairs that naturally will present themselves from time to time.

A monthly or bi-monthly shampoo of the knot using a good quality hair product will do no harm either as a regular maintenance form of good practice.

Its very difficult telling a customer they have contributed to the demise of their shaving brush by failing to follow some fairly basic instructions & common sense.

They will always demand a free of charge replacement no matter what they are told.

If you buy a new set of Callaway's and spend half the round playing shots of the buggy paths or car parks, the manufacturer isn't going to look too favourably at an exchange option (using a very exaggerated analogy).

Ultimately, like any item, preventative care & regular maintenenace are the key.

This may help, it may not?

Mark
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This is pretty much how I look after mine, apart from shampooing them,

though here we have soft water, so we don't see soap scum at all.
 
Fuzzyian said:
This is pretty much how I look after mine, apart from shampooing them,

though here we have soft water, so we don't see soap scum at all.
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I know I am a bit anal about my brushes, but I probably spend more time rinsing them than I do making and applying lather. I also stopped using a bunch of the popular non-artisan soaps and creams because of the film they leave. (Proraso, Arko, just to name a couple...) I am not sure which common ingredient it is that makes the difference, but none of the artisan soaps I use leave that film. It isn't like it is that hard to clean it off razors and handles, but my OCD just has a hard time dealing with the thought of it living inside my brush knots.


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Hi,

Well, thanks' for the advice. I did buy a half litre of spirit vinegar, at an exorbitant cost of 39p!. Washed my brush thoroughly in a trace of detergent, and then soaked it in a 50/50 mix of spirit vinegar for 5/6 minutes.

After that, a gentle stroke with a soft toothbrush and any soap scum that bad built up around the base of the knot was gone. Also, the brush itself felt like new, "cleaner" and not in the least "sticky". I think PickledNorthern hit the nail on the head, as I had been using Proraso for a good while. Question - is MWF OK as that is another of my favourites?

Mark, my brush was not a shredder and had always been washed and dried in the open, stood in a brush stand. It was really a question of cosmetics more than anything else, but the brush does feel much "better" now. (Difficult to describe why "better"!)

Thanks all.
 
Whitefiver said:
Hi,

Well, thanks' for the advice. I did buy a half litre of spirit vinegar, at an exorbitant cost of 39p!. Washed my brush thoroughly in a trace of detergent, and then soaked it in a 50/50 mix of spirit vinegar for 5/6 minutes.

After that, a gentle stroke with a soft toothbrush and any soap scum that bad built up around the base of the knot was gone. Also, the brush itself felt like new, "cleaner" and not in the least "sticky". I think PickledNorthern hit the nail on the head, as I had been using Proraso for a good while. Question - is MWF OK as that is another of my favourites?

Mark, my brush was not a shredder and had always been washed and dried in the open, stood in a brush stand. It was really a question of cosmetics more than anything else, but the brush does feel much "better" now. (Difficult to describe why "better"!)

Thanks all.
Click to expand...
I'm pleased you are happy with the results. :) 39p ...outrageous !!!
 
Whitefiver said:
Question - is MWF OK as that is another of my favourites?

Thanks all.
Click to expand...

Does it leave white scum on your razor? That's all I look for. I figure if it isn't on my razors, it isn't on my brushes.

I do make an exception for Tabac, because it simply rocks. I may need to make another selection for Proraso red just because I miss having it around.

Glad the vinegar worked for you.
 
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