Hi all, I've been wondering this for a while - how do you dry your brushes? I normally rinse well in warm and then cold water, then vigourously shake until no water can be heard flicking out in the sink. I generally don't wipe on a towel, and leaving standing upright out in the open. The brushes are usually dry within 24 hours, maybe even less. I've often wondered about buying a stand. I understand that these prolong the life of the brush, presumably to prevent shedding (I have had shedding with my Rooney 3/1 and also my new Chubby 2 (although I've only had it a day!). I'm concerned that I'm not drying them properly, and that maybe I should use a stand. However, it seems counter-intuitive to me. Surely you want the water to evaporate up, out of the brush? If it is hanging upside down, how does the water evaporate? Then again, it makes sense that excess water would initially drip out of the brush if hanging upside down, but I shake most of the water out before leaving to dry. So... I'm confused! Any suggestions? Regards, John
You will find many opinions on your question. IMO, I think you are drying them just fine the way you mention. This was discussed recently in this thread. Brushes will shed some hairs especially during the break in period.
I rinse my chubby really well & give it the big shakes too. I then "lather" it gently on a towel to get most of the moisture off it. I then put it in a stand. As Special K rightly pointed out, there are differing opinions on this, i put it in a stand because i have one for it that i bought when i bought the brush. However, i know a guy using a chubby for over 10 years & never putting it in a stand & his brush is still in perfect condition. I recently aquired a boar brush, it holds alot more water than a badger after a good vigorous shake. After i have shaken it i stand it bristles in the air & it dries form the knot up. Zach explains this much better than me in another post. So IMHO it is a personnal preference. Fozz
I think the only reason a stand might add slightly to the life of a brush is if the glue used to secure the knot can be loosened by water. If you're concerned about a brush only lasting a few years, I wouldn't worry. A quality brush will last at least 10 years (more often 20+ years) no matter what direction it is stored. If the concern is the brush lasting the rest of you life, then by all means get a stand to maximize the brush's life. Since most of us rotate brushes, the effective life of a brush gets multiplied and this becomes even less of an issue.
Hi John, Welcome! Here's my excerpt from the link beyboo listed (more great info there than just mine, by the way): Just my two cents. If water would run toward the knot if left standing on its base, why doesn't a little puddle of water collect under the brush if it is left to hang? Wouldn't it run down toward the end of the brush and drip off? I hang my brushes and I have never had a puddle form under it. I've read elsewhere it is best to stand the brush on its base so "the water can evaporate upwards. It will not evaporate if it cannot escape up." Here's my take: if a wet glass is placed upside down on a dish rack, the inside will dry. It would not if the statement I quoted was true - the bottom (now the top) of the glass would prevent upward evaporation. Now if the wet glass is set upside down on the counter, thus preventing air to circulate, then the inside would take considerably longer to dry. That being said, to the best of my knowledge, a shaving brush is not air tight and air can circulate between the hairs regardless of the way it is set during storage. By the way, the only reason I hang my badger brush is because it fits in the stand I have to hold it and my razor in use. I have the stand for aesthetic reasons, no other. My boar sits on its base between uses only because it is too big for the stand. I have had no problem with either brush drying.
Don't shake it too much. This video demonstrates a gentle way of drying an airbrush. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dRVZz83ago
