Tutorial Clean & De-Stink your shaving brushes

Discussion in 'Tutorials' started by Neolithium, Jan 2, 2013.

  1. Taipan

    Taipan Well-Known Member

    Great tip on brush cleaning/conditioning. Thanks..
    On the other subject, here in England chips(fries to you lot) are NOTHING without salt and vinegar. Sprinkle the salt and shake the vinegar. Blow your taste buds by using the vinegar from pickled onions!
     
  2. Gary

    Gary Member

    I soak my brushes once per month for 5 min in a barbacide solution. Have done this for the last four months so cannot comment if any long term issued on the knot
     
  3. Erik Redd

    Erik Redd Lizabeth, baby, I'm comin' to join ya.

    I think they are much better as the Belgians eat them, with mayonaise (they also use several other sauces, but mayo is the most prevalent)
     
    SlowRoller47 likes this.
  4. DirtDiver

    DirtDiver Member

    I use pet shampoo to defunk a new brush. works great.
     
    bigjustin likes this.
  5. HolyRollah

    HolyRollah BaconLord

    For years, I used Johnson's Baby Shampoo to clean my old brush. With babies in the house, there was always an ample supply available.
    (This was before I turned to the 'dark side' and began buying cans of gel to apply sans brush.)
    Nowadays, I use oxyclean & water (in a similar style as the OP presented at the top of this thread) to clean my brushes, with good results.

    And malt vinegar does go great on fries/chips—but really only if one is enjoying fried cod filets and a pint of stout along with it. :)
     
    MacDaDad likes this.
  6. Shellbriar

    Shellbriar Member

    Now this was a very informative post for a newbie like me! Thanks!
     
  7. captainamer71

    captainamer71 Member

  8. 178-bplatoon

    178-bplatoon Well-Known Member

    My wife likes he fries with mayo...:) I'll have to tell her she's not that weird after all, as an entire country like them that way also...:happy097:

    "BEST" way to eat fries/chips other than good ole' ketchup and salt is covered in a thick roast beef gravy with bit of the roast in it....HMMMMMMMMM :drool: I think, no I "KNOW" I'm going to eat that tonight for super!! :D
     
  9. mickeyobe

    mickeyobe Active Member

    Fries are not fries without vinegar.
    Malt vinegar is best.
    Take it from a Canadian.

    To get a little classier you must try Quebec's famous Poutine.
    Fries and cheese curds smothered in beef gravy. No vinegar this time. It is to die for. It will probably kill you if your arteries are already degraded.
     
    PatrickA51 likes this.
  10. mickeyobe

    mickeyobe Active Member


    Only in England. Tch, tch.
    Sprinkle the vinegar and then add salt.
    The other way round merely washes the salt off.
     
    beemers likes this.
  11. mickeyobe

    mickeyobe Active Member

    Back to cleaning brushes.
    I just purchased my first horse hair brush.
    I read they are made from the mane and tail hairs.
    When I wet it the first time there was no doubt which end of the horse mine came from.
    I lathered it up with ordinary Irish Spring bar soap and rubbed it in well. Rinsed and relathered.
    Rinsed again and shook it out. Then I sprinkled it very liberally with some Aqua Velva after shave lotion - the strongest I have.
    I let it sit over night. When I rinsed it the next morning the barnyard odour had gone.
    It is now my favourite brush.
     
  12. emmijack

    emmijack Well-Known Member

    Borax is not readily available off the shelf here in the UK, so I had to order it online, I followed Neolithium's procedure today step by step and de-funked/Cleaned Three of my brushes, the method worked a treat!!!
     
  13. tuxxdk

    tuxxdk International Penguin of Mystery

    Last time I cleaned a brush, dishwash soap and vinegar worked great. Soak in soap first for a few minutes, rinse, then soak in vinegar for a few minutes or more. Clean, nice and soft bristles.
     
    SlowRoller47 likes this.
  14. Dusan

    Dusan Active Member

    This tutorial is great, but, if someone have homemade, real vinegar from vine, for God's sake, don't soak your brush in that, it stinks worse than buch of pigs,badgers and horses together :sick007:
     
  15. mickeyobe

    mickeyobe Active Member

    I am glad the brush/fries/chips mystery is finally cleared up.

    To recapitulate - Mayo on the brush (makes a nice creamy lather).
    Pickled onion vinegar in your mixing/lather bowl with your borax/soap/cream.
    Before you eat the onion keep it whole in your cheek to tighten the skin.
    Borax in your aftershave. (20 Mule Team would be most appropriate with a horsehair brush.)
    Salt on your strop. (It makes an interesting sound and a non skid surface on a wet bathroom floor.)

    Happy shaves to you.
     
    SlowRoller47 and CarlfromMO like this.
  16. dscaver

    dscaver Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the great tutorial, I have my dads old horse hair brush from the early 70s and it was not doing the job. Washed as you instructed with Borax and the brush is like a new brush. All along I thought that a good rinsing did the job. Thanks again

    Dave
     
  17. Jim Bennett

    Jim Bennett Member

    I have a horsehair brush that I've been using for almost two years. The horsey stank is long gone. Except for a good rinse after using it everyday I have never cleaned it. I tried this method and absolutely nothing happened. The water was as clean afterwards as it was before I soaked the brush. Is this a boar or badger brush thing? My horsehair doesn't seem to need it.
     
  18. JRod22

    JRod22 Well-Known Member

    I've been at this for about a year, though none of my brushes are that old. Also I rotate everyday between about 5-6 brushes at a given time. I tried cleaning one and didn't see any junk being removed, though it did seem soft after. Who knows.

    Maybe with hard water and everyday use for a year a brush starts to get funky.
     
  19. Neolithium

    Neolithium I am Canadian, eh

    How dirty a brush depends on a great many things, how much product someone uses, how they rinse the brush afterwards, even their lathering (Some don't rinse their face/head afterwards and just fire another layer on). I used my Chubby CH1 for well over a year and the first time I did this method it was naaaasty. The water was somewhat greyish. Subsequent cleanings were relatively clear but the hairs were cleaner feeling each time - deeper in the knots can (Not will, only CAN) keep soap and goop that can't really be seen or removed with a simple rinse and shake.

    Glad its helpin some people out :)
     
    JRod22 likes this.
  20. PatrickA51

    PatrickA51 Well-Known Member

    Justin
    Thank you for taking the time and effort to post this tutorial and the photo's. Very helpful.:shaver
     

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