Dangerous Question, I think. Why Bother Washing Rinsing and Drying a Shaving Brush?
- Thread starter SmoothCut
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Well... The soap scum left on it means that the brush will repel water.
And if you leave it damp, you are asking for something to rot, particularly in humid areas in the warmer months.
And if you leave it damp, you are asking for something to rot, particularly in humid areas in the warmer months.
The popular opinion is that it is better for the hair in the long term to be rinsed of excess lather and allowed to dry. If your brush isn't completely dry before the next time you use it, it isn't going to ruin the brush, but its just something to strive for.
Some old timers left lather in, and their brushes lasted for decades. But I think most people would agree its better to rinse and dry them. If nothing else, you're going to want to rinse the old stuff out before you make a new lather, unless you like old bits of crusty lather in your new one.
Think of a brush as a wine glass. You're going to put wine in it again when you are done drinking right? So why wash it? Because you don't want the remnants of the previous wine (soap in this case) left in the glass. Plus, not doing so would be kinda gross.
Some old timers left lather in, and their brushes lasted for decades. But I think most people would agree its better to rinse and dry them. If nothing else, you're going to want to rinse the old stuff out before you make a new lather, unless you like old bits of crusty lather in your new one.
Think of a brush as a wine glass. You're going to put wine in it again when you are done drinking right? So why wash it? Because you don't want the remnants of the previous wine (soap in this case) left in the glass. Plus, not doing so would be kinda gross.
- Thread starter
- #4
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Pjotr
On the other hand someone here posted that after applying lather his dad or granddad left his brush standing upside down on the puck ready for use the next time. No cleaning, flushing out lather etc. The brush lasted years apparently. I wouldn't do it but if it's the life of your brush you're concerned with it appears, based on this evidence, that you probably needn't worry too much about cleaning and drying.
I always rinse my brush after I shave, remove the excess water and place it upside down on a stand. This has worked very well for me over the years.
Al raz.
Al raz.
One benefit of cleaning my brush, more than just the normal rinsing and drying that I do after every shave, is that I have noticed an improvement in generating lather.
If my brush begins to look like there is a soap scum ring around the base of the knot then I normally clean it with some shampoo or dish soap. It normally produces a lot better lather after that.
If my brush begins to look like there is a soap scum ring around the base of the knot then I normally clean it with some shampoo or dish soap. It normally produces a lot better lather after that.
- Thread starter
- #8
In their instructions, Thäter claims that dried lather causes hair to break and shed.
I wash my brushs with warm to hot water, just to clean the majority of lather in the brush. I dont go crazy OCD on it, but then shake it dry and hang up side down. Thats just what I do, not saying its the right, wrong or indifferent way to do it. Just my .02
My instinct in answering this question is always to ask it back, but replace "shaving brush" with "shower".
I washed my brush last night and the difference in water absorption was dramatic. Yesterday the bristles were floating in the water only half submerged. This morning the bristles happily sank and sucked up a ton of water. That is enough of a reason for me!
Why bathe? The same logic applies IMHO 
Ah, but the logic is different. You have to bathe because you have sweat glands that produce sweat. Your shaving brush is an inanimate object, and thus does not produce anything that needs to be cleaned off.Why bathe? The same logic applies IMHO
The wine glass analogy is flawed, too. Dried soap left on the brush will re-lather when wetted the next day. Your wine residua will never be a fine wine again.
So, in answer to the original question, I'm not sure it's necessary to rinse out the brush and dry it every day, provided you use the same soap day after day.
But it does touch your face which does have sweat glands as well as undesirable stuff on the surface.
Dried up lather will never be fine lather again either.
I don't use the same soap/cream for each shave, so I rinse out brushes after each use. I periodically wash them with shampoo also.
