Administrator
Philadelphia, PA
(09-26-2022, 07:31 PM)2013cossj Wrote: We have hard water in our house. We have to use a descaler in the electric kettle to stop the kettle getting furred up. Is this hard water going to damage my brush?
I would say most people have hard water and to my knowledge, I'm not aware of hard water damaging the brush...if you're very worried about it, perhaps shampooing the brush every few weeks might give you some relief.
Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito.
Member
I've never heard of hard water damaging a brush in particular, but after thinking about it, I think it could be of concern. One of the things I read somewhere (can't remember where) is that badger hair was chosen as the hair of choice for shaving because of its similar properties to human hair. Being able to absorb water is one of the biggest ones. If spas and others say it can cause damage to your hair and breakage, then it's going to do the same with your brush if not tended to. Cleaning it would be a good idea. Depends on how often you use the brush. There are no hard rules as to how often you should do it. I have so many brushes doing it even once a month is really overkill. I give my brushes 48 hours in between uses, and could only get in 15 uses in a month. 20 uses would probably be what I would do for cleaning the brush.
I use what I read on QED USA for brush care. Here is what is stated on their page:
Shaving Brushes : How to clean
There are all kinds of methods for cleaning a brush. The issue really comes down to just what is it that you are trying to remove from the brush. Hard water scale? Fats (soap scum)? Two different problems. Here are some simple solutions.
Hard-water scale: Borax (commercially available 20 Mule Team Borax will do the trick). One teaspoon per 8oz of water, soak for 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly.
Fats (soap scum): Shampoo (yep, the same stuff you use on your head). Use a small amount of shampoo (preferably one containing Sodium Laurel Sulfate), lather away for 30 seconds or so, rinse thoroughly. Some men like to give a second shampoo, to insure a good cleansing. There are even men who apply a conditioner. Of course, the easiest solution to this problem is to thoroughly rinse your brush after each use so scum does not build up.
All purpose: First, soak the brush with dishwashing liquid (like Dawn) for about 5 minutes, to rid the brush of soap scum. Then in a solution of 1 part vinegar, 4 parts water, and a dash of glycerin, soak the brush for about 10 minutes, to strip hard-water scale build up and to condition the hair.
Some gents are not practicing good brush hygiene. I soak my brush in 120F+ water everyday before using it. I rinse, rinse, rinse the brush after use ensuring all soap is removed. In the last 5 or 6, or is it 12 or 15 years, I have cleansed brushes with borax twice. I have cleansed each NEW brush with shampoo and lightly conditioned it with conditioner prior to its first use. I think I have also shampooed and conditioned a brush or two on one or two other occasions. I keep them clean and do not have especially hard water with which to deal. - Author wishes to remain anonymous (excerpt from an actual email received by QED)
I've always used the all purpose myself. I've heard of many different ways of what people do to clean their brushes. I settled on dish soap and vinegar as my mom is part of the older generation and I remember her talking about using to do vinegar rinses for her hair for a good portion of her life, and figured if that didn't hurt her, it wouldn't hurt my brush. I wouldn't go any lower on the ratio. I feel 1 part water to 4 parts vinegar is good. I know of another individual that uses MAC brush cleanser and I wouldn't have a problem with that either. I understand that in the past the smaller silvertip brushes were often used by women as make up brushes even. I think there's a good amount of leeway with many of the topics.
I wish I could speak from experience of dealing with hard water issues, but I just don't think that's a problem where I live. I think I would know if it was.
I use what I read on QED USA for brush care. Here is what is stated on their page:
Shaving Brushes : How to clean
There are all kinds of methods for cleaning a brush. The issue really comes down to just what is it that you are trying to remove from the brush. Hard water scale? Fats (soap scum)? Two different problems. Here are some simple solutions.
Hard-water scale: Borax (commercially available 20 Mule Team Borax will do the trick). One teaspoon per 8oz of water, soak for 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly.
Fats (soap scum): Shampoo (yep, the same stuff you use on your head). Use a small amount of shampoo (preferably one containing Sodium Laurel Sulfate), lather away for 30 seconds or so, rinse thoroughly. Some men like to give a second shampoo, to insure a good cleansing. There are even men who apply a conditioner. Of course, the easiest solution to this problem is to thoroughly rinse your brush after each use so scum does not build up.
All purpose: First, soak the brush with dishwashing liquid (like Dawn) for about 5 minutes, to rid the brush of soap scum. Then in a solution of 1 part vinegar, 4 parts water, and a dash of glycerin, soak the brush for about 10 minutes, to strip hard-water scale build up and to condition the hair.
Some gents are not practicing good brush hygiene. I soak my brush in 120F+ water everyday before using it. I rinse, rinse, rinse the brush after use ensuring all soap is removed. In the last 5 or 6, or is it 12 or 15 years, I have cleansed brushes with borax twice. I have cleansed each NEW brush with shampoo and lightly conditioned it with conditioner prior to its first use. I think I have also shampooed and conditioned a brush or two on one or two other occasions. I keep them clean and do not have especially hard water with which to deal. - Author wishes to remain anonymous (excerpt from an actual email received by QED)
I've always used the all purpose myself. I've heard of many different ways of what people do to clean their brushes. I settled on dish soap and vinegar as my mom is part of the older generation and I remember her talking about using to do vinegar rinses for her hair for a good portion of her life, and figured if that didn't hurt her, it wouldn't hurt my brush. I wouldn't go any lower on the ratio. I feel 1 part water to 4 parts vinegar is good. I know of another individual that uses MAC brush cleanser and I wouldn't have a problem with that either. I understand that in the past the smaller silvertip brushes were often used by women as make up brushes even. I think there's a good amount of leeway with many of the topics.
I wish I could speak from experience of dealing with hard water issues, but I just don't think that's a problem where I live. I think I would know if it was.
Joe
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