Brush Cleaning

[Kiwi Girlie]

So I gave my Brushes a deep clean last night, I read threads saying not to saturate the bristles, but I had a little trouble not saturating them... This is what I did..

Filled the basin with tepid water and mixed in a little baby shampoo, dipped the bristles into this water and tapped the brush on the side of the basin till the water coming from the brush was clear. I then rinsed them under the tap (made sure only the bristles not the metal bit etc). Some of my brushes were really Dirty so I rubbed a tiny bit more Baby shampoo into the bristles, and rinsed throughly.

Im really worried that I've ruined my brushes, specially the #187.

The bristles were pretty saturated, I patted it dry etc, It's currently still drying but There are lots of the black hairs poking out all funny, which they weren't before and it'd still really wet down by the metal bit

arghh

any advice or anything I can do better?

 

[freaksinunif0rm]

I use baby shampoo, too!

But I don't saturate them...I just dab a bit of shampoo on my hand, rub the brush over it, and rinse it off (wait...maybe I am saturating them!). Then I let it dry. I don't seem to get any stuff on them :\.

 

[ccarp001]

they should calm down as they dry. dont freak out! : ) i always do when i wash my brushes, and they always end up ok. it also helps if after you press the excess water out on a towel, you dampen your fingers a little and smototh down the "flyaways" on the brushes. mine always get saturated b/c i dont feel like they get clean otherwise. HTH

 

[Kiwi Girlie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccarp001 they should calm down as they dry. dont freak out! : ) i always do when i wash my brushes, and they always end up ok. it also helps if after you press the excess water out on a towel, you dampen your fingers a little and smototh down the "flyaways" on the brushes. mine always get saturated b/c i dont feel like they get clean otherwise. HTH

Im just freaking out because i've read that the handles etc can rot if the bristles absorb too much water etc. And I totally love my #187, lol. As my brush is still very damp down by the metal bit so Im terrified! hah

 

[NikkiHorror]

This is how I was taught to clean brushes:

1. Get some gentle soap and water in your hand and take your brush, swirl it around in the palm of your hand. Remember to rinse only the brush hair, being careful not to get water into the ferrel (metal part) of the brush.
2. Clean once more in the sam fashion, until you're sure all of the product is out of your brush.

3. Squeeze out the excess water, and lay them flat to dry over the edge of the counter (so air can circulate all the way around and through the hair.)

If you stand them upright while they're drying, the handles will rot, and the soap and water will get down into the ferrel, loosen the bristles, and it will start to wobble and fall apart.

Just treat them nicely; as we all know, brushes are very expensive!

 

[Bernadette]

I lcean mine the exact way that Nikki described and although the bristles sometimes look a little whacky at first, once they dry and I kinda fluff em with my hand they are fine. I've never had any problems or messed up any brushes

 

[Kiwi Girlie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernadette I lcean mine the exact way that Nikki described and although the bristles sometimes look a little whacky at first, once they dry and I kinda fluff em with my hand they are fine. I've never had any problems or messed up any brushes

Thanks for that!

I let them dry over night and they look alright now, I was just worried that I wet the bristles a little too much, and I was freaked out that water may have gone down the metal bit, I was just a little paranoid I think

The 187 looks fine now, just a little bit puffier then beforehand, but that's normal by the sounds of it.

 

[Bernadette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwi Girlie Thanks for that! I let them dry over night and they look alright now, I was just worried that I wet the bristles a little too much, and I was freaked out that water may have gone down the metal bit, I was just a little paranoid I think The 187 looks fine now, just a little bit puffier then beforehand, but that's normal by the sounds of it.

Honestly, I remember the exact same thing happening to me when I first got brushes. I thought I ruined em but all was well