Mold on a boar brush?

[Rivers23]

So, I'm kinda dumfounded. I went on vacation for a month and it's been one month since I used my unbleached boar brush. This morning while lathering, I noticed the smell of mold coming from my brush. The brush was completely dry before I used it, it was kept in my bathroom, all the windows were closed while I was away, I keep the brush always upside down to dry. I couldn't see the mold on it, but the smell is coming from the bottom of the knot.

I then reached for my Simpson's T2 and it had no smell at all. I mean, this really bums me out, I didn't think it is possible to happen. I think I'll stick to synthetics now more. I don't know if it can grow on synths also, I'd appreciate your input guys, thanks.

 

[Brutus]

Never had issues with mold, even on those natural fibre brushes that I always keep in the bathroom.
Bathrooms are a humid environment and while I note that you said the brush was completely dry, there cannot be mold unless there is moisture.

You did not mention how you treat your brushes after a shave. Do you rub them gently dry with a bath towel and dry them hanging up? The latter may not be necessary, but many brush manufacturers do recommend it.

To avoid any moisture trapped in the bathroom, did you leave the bathroom door open when you left?
Leaving the bathroom windows and bathroom door closed, thereby preventing air circulation, is one of the best ways known to man to grow mold in a bathroom.

For many years I had several overnight trips every month and I made sure to take a quality synthetic brush with me when travelling if I did not have the time to let the brush dry completely after my morning shave.
Synthetics are less prone to mold, but if you follow manufacturer recommendations mold should be no problem on natural fibre brushes either.


B.

 

[Jim99]

Mold will grow wherever there is moisture. It will grow on natural material and man made material. Check out the siding on many houses and you will likely see mold on both wood, paint and vinyl siding. I leave my brushes out to fully dry before putting them away.

 

[swellcat]

Mold will grow wherever there is moisture. It will grow on natural material and man made material.

I've noticed some black staining on waterstones being kept in water. I'm going to try adding some vinegar to the mix and am open to other ideas.

 

[Goblin]

I used to get mould in my boars back when I was a one brush guy. I shaved most mornings, and my brush sat on a shelf in the steamy, damp family bathroom, so it rarely got a chance to dry out properly - after a couple of years of that kind of treatment brushes would get visible mould. I used to treat my brushes really badly.

Nowadays, I let a brush dry out for at least 24 hours somewhere with decent air flow before storing it, and allow at least 48 hours between uses of any one brush. So far, so good - no problems.

If the boar hasn't been used much, it could be residual animal funk from the centre of the knot, rather than mould.

 

[musicman1951]

I've never had mold in a brush. I store them on open shelves, sitting with the handle on the shelf.

I wouldn't be surprised if you could clean the mold out of the brush.

 

[Rivers23]

You did not mention how you treat your brushes after a shave. Do you rub them gently dry with a bath towel and dry them hanging up? The l
s prone to mold, but if you follow manufacturer recommendations mold should be no problem on natural fibre brushes either.

After shaving, I dry it on a bath towel and then leave them hanging up. I did not close the bathroom door but all the windows in the apartment were closed. I last shaved 2 days before I left, the bathroom had normal air circulation for 2 days at least after I shaved.
I don't know, to me, this is a huge minus for natural bristles. My Simpson's was in the same exact environment and nothing happened to it.

 

[Jim99]

Hmmm…..

I have 6 boar brushes and one badger brush in my den and have been using them for almost 9 years now. I’ve yet to have mold grow on any of them. I leave them next to the sink until they’re dry (usually by evening), and then I store them under the sink. I rotate through my brushes and each is used one a week.

There must be something else going on that’s caused the mold to grow on your brush. I wouldn’t come to the conclusion that the mold was due to natural fibers. Try cleaning the brush, let it dry thoroughly and see if the mold comes back.

 

[Ron R]

Synthetic brushes will mold if when put away when damp when travelling also, I was in Mexico years ago and had a shave in the morning and towel dried my brush and then had to leave to catch a flight that day. I did put the brush in a vented travel tube and 2 days later when went to use it there was some mold forming near the base also and there was a mildew odour .
I should of used a hair dryer to help it dry a bit faster before travelling.
I did some testing a while back on different brushes during a heat wave in Northern Canada a few years back. Synthetics will dry the quickest of 3 brush types used. Hope this helps folks & it is never a good idea to keep damp brushes in a enclosed area(medicine cabinets) .
(Old archived photo from a few years ago during a heat wave and was bored so did a simple test to confirm synthetics dry quickly.)

Another test a B&B fellow did with brushes standing on their end and in a brush stand bristles pointing down and there is not much difference in drying times from his observances.

Have some great shaves!

 

[supawabb]

I have 3 brushes. I use them in a rotation. On occasion, it will be two days where I don't shave rather than 1, but in general, this is how I do...

Day 1) Shave with Brush 1.
Day 2) No shave.
Day 3) Shave with Brush 2.
Day 4) No shave.
Day 5) Shave with Brush 3.
Day 6) No shave.
Day 7) Shave with Brush 1 and repeat pattern.

Brushes:
Semogue boar bristle, Taj handle.
West Coast Shaving Beacon with pure Badger.
Semogue Owner's Club Mistura Badger & Boar in Butterscotch.

Once done shaving, I rinse thoroughly, shake brush off 4-5-6 times to remove excess water. Next I brush it off on a towel for about 30 seconds in various directions. Lastly it is placed on floor vent for 4-8 hours before being hung knot down. I am fairly certain they are very dry between uses with my process, along with the 6 days before being used again. To top it off, I am looking at 4 more brushes which will only space the drying time out further. This hobby

 

[huck1680]

Hmm...I'm kinda in the camp of residual funk from boar bristles. However, I have verdigris from a copper handled boar brush that is just there. I clean it with lemon juice etc every now and then. I'm thinking to soak your brush in rubbing alcohol to aid in getting rid of the smell etc. Or use a diluted bleach/water solution and again soak the brush but not for a long time. And rinse very thoroughly. I have boars and synths and so far no problems at all.

 

[BigJ]

Never had a problem with mold on my brushes.

That shows I have enough to let them dry thoroughly between uses! Well, I may need just 1 more to be sure!!

 

[DesertIguana]

Best tip is to hang brush Hair Down and let air dry, in humid climate it take longer.

 

[luvmysuper]

Mold cannot grow on a dry object.
If it really is mold, then your brush really wasn't dry.

 

[Brutus]

Synthetic brushes will mold if when put away when damp when travelling also, I was in Mexico years ago and had a shave in the morning and towel dried my brush and then had to leave to catch a flight that day. I did put the brush in a vented travel tube and 2 days later when went to use it there was some mold forming near the base also and there was a mildew odour .
I should of used a hair dryer to help it dry a bit faster before travelling.

Two comments from a retired airline pilot:
Humidity on board is very low, in the 20% range.
You could take the brush with you in you carry-on, take it out when on board, and let it dry in the dry air on board. Just don’t forget the brush when disembarking.

If I had a coffee spill on a uniform shirt (things happen, you know), I would go to the lavatory, wash the stain out, go back up front, and it would be dry before I knew it.

Careful when drying brushes with hair dryers.
I am not a fan, as excessive temperatures can damage fibres.


B.

 

[Rivers23]

Mold cannot grow on a dry object.
If it really is mold, then your brush really wasn't dry.

True. That means that having 2 days to dry hanging up is not enough. Probably due to the density of the knot, it takes more time to get water out of the base. Thing is, I shave every 2 days, so it's a problem because it can't get dry enough between shaves.

Synthetic brushes will mold if when put away when damp when travelling also, I was in Mexico years ago and had a shave in the morning and towel dried my brush and then had to leave to catch a flight that day. I did put the brush in a vented travel tube and 2 days later when went to use it there was some mold forming near the base also and there was a mildew odour.

Yeah I assumed so. But in my experience, my synth is bone dry just from wiping it on a towel for like 10-20 seconds.

 

[luvmysuper]

True. That means that having 2 days to dry hanging up is not enough. Probably due to the density of the knot, it takes more time to get water out of the base. Thing is, I shave every 2 days, so it's a problem because it can't get dry enough between shaves.

Yeah I assumed so. But in my experience, my synth is bone dry just from wiping it on a towel for like 10-20 seconds.

I'd put it someplace where you get some air circulation/movement when done.
That will likely resolve the drying issue.

 

[Rivers23]

I'd put it someplace where you get some air circulation/movement when done.
That will likely resolve the drying issue.

Yeah I'll try to keep it in my room instead of the bathroom. I'll soak it in water with some baking soda for a day, hopefully that will kill the mold.

 

[Alex Jr]

If I had a coffee spill on a uniform shirt (things happen, you know), I would go to the lavatory, wash the stain out, go back up front, and it would be dry before I knew it.

Get in with a pea size stain and get out like a water balloon exploded in the shirt, covered with wet shredded paper towel pieces.

That number 1 look afterwards is priceless though… “what the @&$& happened to you in there?!”

 

[Tomo]

I give my brushes a quick blast with a blow dryer after shaking them out. I’m not going for bone dry. I just like to help them along a bit. In my experience the base of the knot can remain damp long after the tips are dry. Particularly on big, dense knots like a Chubby 2. Most people advise against it but I’ve been doing it for years. So far so good. It’s designed to dry the natural hair on your head. How bad can it be? Obviously you want to be sensible about how hot and how close you go.