Shaving Brush Cleaning & Maintenance

[Soap Thing]

I’ve had quite a few people ask me offline how to clean their shaving brushes. Since I’ve been talking about it a lot, I figure I would just post what I do. This is mostly for badger brushes but it won’t hurt synthetics either. This is what I do. Take it with a grain of salt.

Daily cleaning. Remember these words:

1. Look.
2. Listen.
3. Feel.

... No this is not CPR. I always rinse the brush with warm(ish) water. LOOK for suds inside and outside your knot. Spread the hairs a little bit and investigate. LISTEN for sudsy sounds. Squeeze your knot a few times after you ring most of the water out. It shouldn’t sound like a soapy dishrag fresh out of the kitchen sink. FEEL your knot with your fingers after you think you’re done. Then rub your fingers together. If it’s slick, like Astroglide slick, rinse it again. If you DON’T see or hear suds, and you DON’T feel slickness on your fingers, you did it right. Brush it against a dry towel a few times then set it to dry knot up. I had a lot of brush makers tell me to let it dry knot up, something to do with how water evaporates, I don’t know but it works.

Maintenance.

I use a shampoo and conditioner combo, nothing crazy. Lather it agains your hand like it’s a shaving soap. No, you’re not going to shave your hand (I’ve seriously been asked that before). Get your fingers in there and scrub a little, like you do on your head in the shower. Then rinse like you would in the above cleaning paragraph. I clean my (badger) brushes every two weeks or when the brush starts feeling scratchy, which ever comes first (usually two weeks).

This is probably old news to 95% of us but if I help one or two members get the most out of their brush, that’s good enough for me.


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[GearNoir]

You do more than me! I have only thoroughly cleaned my brushes upon their arrival in my den. Otherwise it’s a warm water wash, a couple shakes over the tub, wipe down the handle, strop on a towel to make sure the hairs aren’t clumping together, then left out to dry knot up in a dry air room (bedroom). The synthetics dry within 30 minutes, badgers in a couple hours at most seems like. Haven’t had any real issues yet.

 

[Soap Thing]

You do more than me! I have only thoroughly cleaned my brushes upon their arrival in my den. Otherwise it’s a warm water wash, a couple shakes over the tub, wipe down the handle, strop on a towel to make sure the hairs aren’t clumping together, then left out to dry knot up in a dry air room (bedroom). The synthetics dry within 30 minutes, badgers in a couple hours at most seems like. Haven’t had any real issues yet.

I supposed it depends on the knot. I’ve seen very expensive badgers not react well with low maintenance, I’ve seen cheap badgers take a beating no brush should ever take, and I’ve seen the exact inverse of those two things. So I just air on the side of caution because I once ruined a brush with sentimental value because didn’t take care of it. If you have a system that works, work that system.


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[SteveChuckFrank]

You do more than me! I have only thoroughly cleaned my brushes upon their arrival in my den. Otherwise it’s a warm water wash, a couple shakes over the tub, wipe down the handle, strop on a towel to make sure the hairs aren’t clumping together, then left out to dry knot up in a dry air room (bedroom). The synthetics dry within 30 minutes, badgers in a couple hours at most seems like. Haven’t had any real issues yet.

This is what I do...mostly because I’m lazy

 

[MilkCrate]

This is what I do...mostly because I’m lazy

I do the same.

 

[CBLindsay]

There is a difference between cleaning and breaking in a brush, but I do about the same thing for both. I know others (@BarberDave) who are trained in the art of barber dome (...is that a thing?) have a very reliable routine for turning a new brush into a GREAT new brush. Being a soap maker myself, I make a brush cleaning soap made mostly of coconut oil that is super cleansing and quick to create deep penetrating easy rinsing lather. I use that soap to deep clean the brushes and get them ‘funk-free’. The soap isn’t heavy with conditioners because I know my soaps have what my brush will need to condition the bristles. I’m not opposed to using a solution of borax and dish soap to clean a brush then following with a decent conditioner, that has done very well for me in the past and the brushes I’ve broken in and maintained that way are STILL in great condition.

 

[BarberDave]

Chris is right, there is a Huge difference between breaking in a brush as opposed to "maintenance". For me I think too much time is spent over thinking how a brush should be taken care of. I have new brushes, I have very old brushes that have still never lost a hair ( over 30yrs old and badger) there is a ton of advice out there most of which is about the same as seeing dragons in your closet.

Here is what I do both personally and from a Barber Standpoint where sanitizing is paramount

For break in and "defunking" all materials Badger, Boar, and Synth
Warm water, vinegar Bath, Lather with Mitchell's Wool Fat ( important because of the softening of lanolin ) leave for 24 hrs, rinse done

As to cleaning, well strictly speaking in the shop, and most of the time at home , a mild anti bacterial soap, CBL's Brush cleaner, or shampoo, rinse and a 10 second dip in a 1/50 ratio or Barbacide ( Barbacide will kill anything ) Rinse Done

but most of the time what are your shaving with??? Soap...... they will stay relatively clean and germ free if you just rinse well and beat on a towel and left to dry. continued usage will keep them clean

 

[CBLindsay]

I do need to bring out the MWF. For the brush and the shave...

 

[dangerousdon]

trained in the art of barber dome (...is that a thing?)

If it isn't...it should be.

"Two Barbers Enter...One Leaves Perfectly Shaven!

 

[dangerousdon]

My concern with any kind of shampoo or conditioner is that there are a lot of products out there that do one of two things...either add a really waxy substance to your hair (or fibers in this case), or strip your hair (or fiber) of any kind of protecting qualities. Some of these things are just down right unhealthy for you. But...for the most part...I do the step one process of what @Soap Thing does. I guess it is more like what @GearNoir does.

 

[Fenster]

I have seen the "how to clean your brush" discussion throughout the years on numerous forums and I truly don't understand it. Is it just to clean out soap residue? or is there something else that people are doing with their brushes that would necessitate a need to "clean" them regularly? I'm not talking break in of a new brush or de-funking a new badger, I am just referring to the "maintenance" cleaning that some do. For me the only things that touches my brush is soap and clean water. I thoroughly rinse my brush after each use, beat it on a towel, and then hang it up to dry and I have never had an issue with any of them so I have never felt the need to clean them further.

 

[Soap Thing]

I have seen the "how to clean your brush" discussion throughout the years on numerous forums and I truly don't understand it. Is it just to clean out soap residue? or is there something else that people are doing with their brushes that would necessitate a need to "clean" them regularly? I'm not talking break in of a new brush or de-funking a new badger, I am just referring to the "maintenance" cleaning that some do. For me the only things that touches my brush is soap and clean water. I thoroughly rinse my brush after each use, beat it on a towel, and then hang it up to dry and I have never had an issue with any of them so I have never felt the need to clean them further.

When I first started wet shaving, my idiocy level was off the charts and around the corner. I ruined several soaps and brushes that had sentimental value, because I would lather in the tub and not let it dry, use my brush and just set it aside with no rinse it at all, etc. Once I realized it wasn’t the tools, but the operator, I ran screaming in the other direction. My habits changed a lot and I probably air a little too much on the side of caution. I don’t lather in the soap anymore and I make sure my brush is immaculate before I put it up for the day.


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[CBLindsay]

I have seen the "how to clean your brush" discussion throughout the years on numerous forums and I truly don't understand it. Is it just to clean out soap residue? or is there something else that people are doing with their brushes that would necessitate a need to "clean" them regularly? I'm not talking break in of a new brush or de-funking a new badger, I am just referring to the "maintenance" cleaning that some do. For me the only things that touches my brush is soap and clean water. I thoroughly rinse my brush after each use, beat it on a towel, and then hang it up to dry and I have never had an issue with any of them so I have never felt the need to clean them further.

I think some people naturally (accidentally) clean and maintain their brushes everyday by rinsing and drying in a way that results in a clean and healthy brush, so the subject is quite lost on them and seems as foreign as a fitness blog out on the plains of Africa (those plains where they regularly run 20 miles to visit a friend and arrive smiling...then run back because they don't want to be late for the all night dance party). Some people might truly have no idea but there are others who have such bad water it causes soap scum and hard water deposits to build up in the brush and on the bristles. Even when the build up isn't terribly obvious it really can change the way a brush lathers, even make a soap seem to be a dud when it is build up in the brush that is causing the problem. Because the build up usually occurs somewhat slowly (like the frog in water boiling water) you aren't always aware it is happening but once you clean the "scum" out you see the difference right away. A detergent soap and/or vinegar/acid wash are usually the fastest, most reliable ways to remove the build up but if you use too strong a detergent or vinegar solution you could damage the brush in some way (paint, glue, etc.). If you KNOW you have hard water, an occasional soak in a citric acid (the powdered stuff in the canning isle) solution or vinegar should be in order. Whether you use an artisans coconut oi based soap, murphy's oil soap, dawn dish soap, borax, castile soap, shampoo, OR? is probably less important than the GENTLE acid used to remove the hard water and soap scum.

I am fortunate to live in an area that normally has very little in the way of hard water issues, so a good cool water rinse (as described above by @Soap Thing, rinse well), shake and rub on my towel is all I usually need. I clean my handles with Scrubbing Bubbles OFTEN to keep them nice an pretty. Some handles stay clean and pretty with just a wipe others look much better with a cleaner, since I have several out on display I clean the dust off weekly.

 

[dangerousdon]

or is there something else that people are doing with their brushes that would necessitate a need to "clean" them regularly?

You don't know!

 

[Soap Thing]

I am fortunate to live in an area that normally has very little in the way of hard water issues, so a good cool water rinse (as described above by @Soap Thing, rinse well), shake and rub on my towel is all I usually need. I clean my handles with Scrubbing Bubbles OFTEN to keep them nice an pretty. Some handles stay clean and pretty with just a wipe others look much better with a cleaner, since I have several out on display I clean the dust off weekly.

Speaking of Scrubbing Bubbles, I’ve heard that thrown around a few times. What’s a good way to polish a brush handle? I’ve had a few people tell me Nu Finish car polish but I’m less than convinced . Is Scrubbing Bubbles good for that?


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[Fenster]

@Soap Thing and @CBLindsay thank you both for the explanations, those were things I had not thought of but make sense to me now. I have always rinsed/dried thoughly and I have very soft water so I have been fortunate over the years and not had these issues. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Fenster]

You don't know!

Where are you putting that brush Don?

 

[dangerousdon]

Where are you putting that brush Don?

 

[gwsmallwood]

I use the PAA Brush Soap. It's a hard soap with Borax and Vinegar and comes with a comb to work through the bristles. Seems to work well. I use it a couple of times a year.

 

[Spider]

Warm water, vinegar Bath,

Big fan of this, with some added dish soap for deep cleaning. Especially when procuring a used brush.

If it isn't...it should be.

"Two Barbers Enter...One Leaves Perfectly Shaven!

Beat me to it.

Is it just to clean out soap residue? or is there something else that people are doing with their brushes that would necessitate a need to "clean" them regularly?

Hard water can leave mineral build up in the brush over time. I've had badgers that just kind of quit working as they should. After a good deep cleaning with vinegar, water, and dish soap it frees up any deposits, mineral or soap, and gets it back to new condition. Lots of stuff can get stuck down into the brush that you'll never see after rinsing. And each bristle can build up a coating, preventing it from absorbing water as it should.

Speaking of Scrubbing Bubbles, I’ve heard that thrown around a few times. What’s a good way to polish a brush handle? I’ve had a few people tell me Nu Finish car polish but I’m less than convinced . Is Scrubbing Bubbles good for that?

Not for polishing. But deep cleaning yes. I use scrubbing bubbles all the time on my razors to clean them up, especially when I find vintage razors in the wild. For polishing razors I use either MAAS or Flitz metal polish. You just have to be careful with some vintage razors, whose plating is thin, and you can take it right off.