Second-Hand Brushes

Apparently things like C. Diff. and MRSA can survive for quite a long time and are pretty common.

halvor said:
I have noticed that brush sellers state that their offering is sanitised. Which would mean what?
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Barbicide have an FAQ answer which mentions that:

“Sanitize”, “clean” and “hygiene” all refer to the broad category that means you have done something to remove visible debris. Examples of this would be wiping down a counter, holding something under running water, using soap and water on an item or using a cleaning solution like Ship-Shape® Cleaner.

Disinfecting is the killing of most microbial life that can lead to infection in humans—such as Influenza, Staphylococcus, HIV/AIDS, Herpes, Salmonella and Hepatitis. This step is done following cleaning and requires the use of a disinfectant such as Barbicide®, Barbicide® Plus or Barbicide® Wipes.

Sterilization is the killing of all microbial life and requires an autoclave or cold sterilizer. This method is mainly used in healthcare."

 
halvor said:
Jokes aside, what is the harshest treatment brushes could/should be exposed to in order to remove as much trace of previous owner as possible without killing the poor thing? I have bought a few second-hand(++) razors but never a brush and might have one incoming now.
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Honestly, there are all sorts of cleaning methods. For old brushes, a bit of dishwashing soap mixed with a teaspoon of olive oil does the trick. I've also had good results with Borax, though some manufacturers say not to use it, as it's considered "too harsh."

The best cleaner would be a dedicated brush cleaner. *gasp* yes, they actually make such a thing. For make-up brushes. Got to keep the war paint applier clean. :)
M.A.C. brush cleanser is one of the more popular brands.

@moodymick have you asked your wife if she cleans her make-up brushes? If she says no, act all disgusted and repulsed. If she says yes, borrow her cleaner. :)
 
Ah! but what about the vile and deadly anthrax living deep down amongst the compressed hairs at the bottom of the knot?

Other than the several I been using for ages - except for the recently acquired second hand brush I used this morning - I'd never, ever use a brush the provenance of which I didn't know. Hygiene is all - which is why we use badger hair, lovely clean-living animals.
 
moodymick said:
Unfortunately, I do need to ask. She treats 'em in a more disposable manner than I / we buy brushes. If she thinks one is getting dirty or clogged - she just buys more!
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You ought to threaten to do the same. In fact, I'll dispose of your brushes for you. I'm sure that after three or four £150 brushes, she'll relent.

On the other hand, it might just be best to tell her all future brushes are unused. She won't have to know that you really mean unused by you. :)
 
UKRob said:
What about a cold water sterilising solution? As used for babies bottles.
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Well, it contains 1% bleach and 16.5% common table salt in a solution. Dilute that down at an 1:80 ratio, and you've got yourself a bona fide Milton Sterilizing solution for cleaning baby bottles.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_sterilizing_fluid
Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable using bleach in any amount on badger or boar hair, but at such a dilute percentage (.0125%), it probably wouldn't hurt anything.

However, you will still need to remove the soap scum from the bristles for any sterilizing solution to work, and for that, it's hard to beat regular antibacterial dish soap.
 
Marvicide can be used, safe for brushes. Ten minute soak, rinse well, lather up a soap to remove traces of blue from tips, and she's squeaky clean. Used on many brushes including Simpson, M&F, Thäter, and old gel tip Rooney with no issue ever.
 
Sorry if reviving old threads is not the done thing around here. I find elsewhere some people get annoyed about it, but others get just as annoyed about new threads covering old ground, so it's six to one, half-dozen to the other.

I was looking for a thread on this, because one of the first things that jumped out at me when I joined here was the thriving trade in used brushes, soaps, razors etc. Not to mention the pass-arounds.

Now I'm admittedly a bit of a hypochondriac (I prefer the term "health anxiety...) but I honestly don't think I could use a second hand brush.

Razors, I initially had some reservations about, but on thinking about it further, a razor can be easily cleaned and disinfected (you have to do both - no point dipping something in disinfectant if you haven't removed all of the deposits of crud first). I don't think a brush can be effectively cleaned and disinfected.

Soaps, there is just something, to my mind, probably irrationally, icky about using a second had soap or cream. Soap after all is not sterile.

I'm not judging anybody. I know I tend towards paranoia, and nobody is doing anything wrong by using another mans brush. I'm just discussing my own proclivities.

Did any of you guys start off this way, then gradually become more relaxed about the idea in the face of irresistible bargains, and the ever growing desire to have all of the things?
 
These brushes are made of boar hair, badger hair and horse hair but your concern is about them having touched a human face other than your own? New synthetic brushes sound like the way for you to go!

Another aspect of second hand brushes is being able to buy models no longer in production or just buying for the handle and re-knotting.

Have you ever read a report of a used brush user having his face fall off, develop a rash, get an infection? Mind, new brushes as well as old were thought to carry anthrax at one time!
 
Isn't that why horsehair brushes disappeared around WW1? Did anyone start using horsehair again, I don't recall even seeing a horsehair brush. Mind you, probably be "as rough as a badgers arse " ;)
 
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