Soooo... I'm wondering about how to stop/kill any mold or mildew that might get into a brush. I know that the best way to fight it is to make sure that it never starts, but, well, Japan is HUMID, especially in June00and I'm thinking ahead. Does Alcohol kill fungus? and will it damage my brush? What's a good way to fight this nastiness, other than Barbicide? Thanks! Jim
Fungi and mold spores are really tough to kill. I wouldn't think regular alcohol baths would be good for the hair, or the glue in the brush, maybe you can give it a quick submersion once or twice a month. If you have AC, dry the brush well by shaking then stroke a few times on a fresh towel to wick out as much moisture as possible then set in front of the ac, which is a large dehumidifier. That should do a good job of drying the brush pretty well.
It's not just the humidity in the house, the spores multiply like mad everywhere. If you don't freeze bread it gets moldy in about two days, onions go bad on the counter, books get spots...ugh. Ok, I'll do my best to keep it dry!
I don't know what to recommend, but I would stay away from alcohol. ... wait, I should rephrase that, I would keep my brush away from alcohol.
got any friends that work in a chemistry lab? I have lots of chemicals at work that are very hygroscopic, so they need to be kept in desiccating jars filled with dri-rite, I think it's just calcium carbonate, anyways it absorbs any moisture you could keep it in a jar with some of this if you can find any. or here is an option http://www.campingsurvival.com/hysigelde.html
Why not use an antibacterial hand soap on em every once in awhile? I wouldn't think it would hurt the brush (but i'm no expert). Be sure to look for one that uses triclosan as the active ingredient (it's the most common anyway)
I have noticed exactly what you mean though, I don't think my brush has ever fully dried while I was in Japan. What about using a hair dryer on low heat?
Mold is a fungus. First sentence from wiki on triclosan: Triclosan (IUPAC name: 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol) is a potent wide spectrum antibacterial and antifungal agent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan
You see this guy? This guy right here? He's a smart guy. Japan is a humid country, OF COURSE they have dessicants you can buy anywhere for pocket change. Tupperware with silica gel packets for $2, problem solved. Oh, and I happen to know where I can get a "shave cream" that is almost pure triclosan... Sweet! Thanks guys!
New to DE razor, late to the party, but I think I can help. If silica gel packs are $2, I think this might help for the next year or two, or three, for about $7-8. For a cigar humidor, a lot of folks, myself included, use crystals to maintain humidity. the trick is to balance the right amount of "wet" and dry crystals to find the degree of humidity you prefer, I like 67%. The point is, these crystals work because the crystals that you do not wet absorb the moisture to help balance the humidity level. When the crystals have moisture, they become clear, when they are dry (their normal state) they are white. Agan, the nice things is you can use some "wet" crystlas to contral the exact humidity you are looking for - too dry could become a problem for the bristles as well. For about $20 you could get a hygrometer to help with that. Are you ready.... Happy Tails Premium Cat Litter CRYSTALS. I have a 4 pound plastic jug that cost about $8 with tax. Make sure it is UNSCENTED. They call it Fragrance Free. albertsons.com has more info on the product. You'll see one blue crystal for every 1,000 or so. I just pick the blues out, mostly because I can't tell when they contain moisture. Anyway, if thousands of guys trust their cigars, some very very expensive cigars, to cat litter, you can probably trust them to your brush, which doesn't go in your mouth Lastly, air circulation can help, even with the crystals. A lot of guys make their own humidor and install small fans. I have one of those air freshener fans, that runs on a battery and turns on/off in 5 to 15 minute intervals. Again, without fragrance. These are called Out Fan, by SC Johnson and like most quality/useful products they are discontinued and much harder to find. Lucky for you, I'm anal and bought, well let's just say I have a backup, or two, or three... You were gracious enough to help me out, so I'll PM this to you as well, in case you don't see it here. Give me your address and I can send you some to try out. Thank you again! One point I should clarify, if you feel you need to add water, it should be distilled water only. Tap water can have bacteria ans create mold of its own. Also, haveing only a couple ounces should last a VERY long time. Let's say I use a handful of the "litter". For cigar, I would spray with distilled water only 20% of it. That creates a good balance. Because you store your brush in the bathroom, and you have high humidity, you would probably start out not wetting any of it. If, at some point, the litter becomes too moist, you can simply move it to a dry area, or even toss it in a bowl and in the oven for a short bit, and bingo! You have new dry litter all over again! Just don't pee in it!!!
Here's another suggestion -- blow dry your brush. It is just hair afterall; just make sure you keep the air moving around to prevent scorching, and add the additional time to your routine (don't want to be late ).
Yeah, but then you have to use conditioner to keep the hair from drying out And those split-ends, ugh
can you imagine the wetshavers who live in South Florida? Mold and mildew is a big problem there, because of high humidity.
