Can you safely disinfect a pure boar bristle brush?

[Madora]

If so, what do you use and how do you do it?

Thank you!

[jacqueline101]

You might be able to go to Sally beauty supply shop and get a disinfectant and mix it according to directions. I've never really disinfected a bbb. This is what I'd try.

[Madora]

Thank you for your input, jacqueline101.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I'm sure it can be done. I would make up a mix of warm water and disinfectant and soak the brush for, say - 10 minutes? Then rinse well.

[Lindenare]

I've never done it, but if I needed to, I'd make a 5% bleach solution and soak the brush in it for no more than ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly. 5% bleach should kill anything living on the brush, while hopefully being dilute enough to not damage the bristles. (I would prefer to use concentrated alcohol, as it shouldn't damage the bristles, but I don't know whether or not it would dissolve the glue holding in the bristle clumps.) Hydrogen peroxide would also be an effective disinfectant, but I wouldn't use it on a BBB unless you didn't mind the bristles potentially bleaching.

[Madora]

Thanks for your input, Sarahlabyrinth and Lindenare! Good to know. I wouldn't care if the bristles were bleached or not. It is the glue that makes me wonder. No glue, no bristles, no brush! I'm not in need of disinfecting hairbrushes but another LHC member just purchased a second hand bbb and I'd feel more comfortable if she disinfected it before putting it on her hair.

[Lindenare]

Thanks for your input, Sarahlabyrinth and Lindenare! Good to know. I wouldn't care if the bristles were bleached or not. It is the glue that makes me wonder. No glue, no bristles, no brush! I'm not in need of disinfecting hairbrushes but another LHC member just purchased a second hand bbb and I'd feel more comfortable if she disinfected it before putting it on her hair.

No problem. :) I'd personally feel much more comfortable about a secondhand hairbrush if I disinfected it first! I'm not too knowledgeable about BBB's, but I work with disinfectants a lot and so listed some of the ones with which I'm familiar. I wouldn't worry about the bristles falling out if the disinfecting was done with dilute bleach or hydrogen peroxide, as they generally won't dissolve anything that water won't. The same cannot be said for ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. As for the bristles bleaching, I was a bit concerned that the bleaching might shorten the life of the brush since bleached hair is weaker. 3% hydrogen peroxide is the same concentration as V10 cosmetic peroxide.

[Madora]

No problem. :) I'd personally feel much more comfortable about a secondhand hairbrush if I disinfected it first! I'm not too knowledgeable about BBB's, but I work with disinfectants a lot and so listed some of the ones with which I'm familiar. I wouldn't worry about the bristles falling out if the disinfecting was done with dilute bleach or hydrogen peroxide, as they generally won't dissolve anything that water won't. The same cannot be said for ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. As for the bristles bleaching, I was a bit concerned that the bleaching might shorten the life of the brush since bleached hair is weaker. 3% hydrogen peroxide is the same concentration as V10 cosmetic peroxide.

:blossom:Thanks so much for this great info, Lindenare! I'm copying it and adding it to my hair care tips, if you don't mind. I'm paranoid about using anything that is not mine on my hair. Too many bad memories of some of the kids at school...trading brushes..and the gremlins that ensued. Yuck!

[jacqueline101]

Thank you for your input, jacqueline101.

Your welcome.

[stachelbeere]

hmmm... I frequently wash my boar bristle art brushes, but I use water and castille soap for that and I wash away oii paint. What I would do is get a disinfectant (rubbing alcohol? That'd be my pick) and immerse only the bristles in it. After some time (5-10 minutes), rinse it off. Now I'm not sure how you'd want to disinfect the wooden part of the brush, that's a bit tricky.

Maybe you could write an email to the producer and ask?

[Lindenare]

:blossom:Thanks so much for this great info, Lindenare! I'm copying it and adding it to my hair care tips, if you don't mind. I'm paranoid about using anything that is not mine on my hair. Too many bad memories of some of the kids at school...trading brushes..and the gremlins that ensued. Yuck!

I don't mind at all, Madora! Actually, I'm quite - flattered, I guess is the word - to contribute to your hair care tips at all! I've been admiring your mane since (before) I joined.

I wouldn't want to trade brushes with anyone who had a scalp infection of any sort. Eww. And you never know with some brushes! Keep in mind that I've never actually disinfected a BBB, so results may not quite be what I thought. Also, I'd rinse LOTS after disinfecting with bleach.

[FrozenBritannia]

I'd use mouthwash, the kind with alcohol in it. Or just vodka, whatever. ;)

I used to use mouthwash in a spray bottle to disinfect toys back when the boys were putting everything in their mouth.

[Madora]

Thank you for your reply, Stachelbeere!

[Madora]

I'd use mouthwash, the kind with alcohol in it. Or just vodka, whatever. ;)

I used to use mouthwash in a spray bottle to disinfect toys back when the boys were putting everything in their mouth.

Now THAT'S a novel approach, FrozenBritannia! Thanks! I'm just wondering if there are different types of alcohol..and what they might do to the glue.

[Madora]

I don't mind at all, Madora! Actually, I'm quite - flattered, I guess is the word - to contribute to your hair care tips at all! I've been admiring your mane since (before) I joined.

I wouldn't want to trade brushes with anyone who had a scalp infection of any sort. Eww. And you never know with some brushes! Keep in mind that I've never actually disinfected a BBB, so results may not quite be what I thought. Also, I'd rinse LOTS after disinfecting with bleach.

Hmmm, bleach. How much bleach to water..or is it straight bleach and nothing else? And how long should the brush soak? I have an old bbb lurking in a dark corner of my dresser. I might try the bleach test on it.

[Lindenare]

Now THAT'S a novel approach, FrozenBritannia! Thanks! I'm just wondering if there are different types of alcohol..and what they might do to the glue.

There are lots of different types of alcohol, but you'll most likely see two as disinfectants. Ethanol is the kind in mouthwash, alcoholic drinks, and that sort of thing. Isopropyl alcohol is generally seen in rubbing alcohol, which is usually a 70% or so solution of either isopropyl alcohol or ethanol.

Both of those alcohols are good general-purpose solvents; they can be used to remove things that water won't touch, like permanent ink or adhesive residues. This is the root of my concerns about the bristles. Since both alcohols discussed can dissolve some glues, and since I don't know what type of glue is used to hold in BBB bristles, there's no way to know if the glue is soluble in ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, both, or neither.


Hmmm, bleach. How much bleach to water..or is it straight bleach and nothing else? And how long should the brush soak? I have an old bbb lurking in a dark corner of my dresser. I might try the bleach test on it.

I would use a 5% bleach solution, which is dilute enough to not be too risky but will still be effective. The easiest way to make it is to figure out what would be the bottom 5% of the container you're using (it helps to use something with straight sides), fill it that far with bleach, then fill it the rest of the way with water and mix. It doesn't have to be perfectly accurate. I'd never use straight bleach on a brush. As far as soaking, the solution really just needs some time to penetrate everywhere possible. I might leave it for 1-2 minutes.

As far as maximum soaking time, I wouldn't recommend soaking for longer than you'd soak a brush to clean it - I think I've heard somewhere that ten minutes is the upper limit of that? If there's a lot of concern about what might be on a brush or you just want it as clean as possible, then letting the bleach solution dry on the brush before rinsing it would help.

Testing the disinfecting process on an old brush is a great idea - then we can have some actual data! Hopefully I haven't been too confusing with explanations.

[Madora]

There are lots of different types of alcohol, but you'll most likely see two as disinfectants. Ethanol is the kind in mouthwash, alcoholic drinks, and that sort of thing. Isopropyl alcohol is generally seen in rubbing alcohol, which is usually a 70% or so solution of either isopropyl alcohol or ethanol.

Both of those alcohols are good general-purpose solvents; they can be used to remove things that water won't touch, like permanent ink or adhesive residues. This is the root of my concerns about the bristles. Since both alcohols discussed can dissolve some glues, and since I don't know what type of glue is used to hold in BBB bristles, there's no way to know if the glue is soluble in ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, both, or neither.



I would use a 5% bleach solution, which is dilute enough to not be too risky but will still be effective. The easiest way to make it is to figure out what would be the bottom 5% of the container you're using (it helps to use something with straight sides), fill it that far with bleach, then fill it the rest of the way with water and mix. It doesn't have to be perfectly accurate. I'd never use straight bleach on a brush. As far as soaking, the solution really just needs some time to penetrate everywhere possible. I might leave it for 1-2 minutes.

As far as maximum soaking time, I wouldn't recommend soaking for longer than you'd soak a brush to clean it - I think I've heard somewhere that ten minutes is the upper limit of that? If there's a lot of concern about what might be on a brush or you just want it as clean as possible, then letting the bleach solution dry on the brush before rinsing it would help.

Testing the disinfecting process on an old brush is a great idea - then we can have some actual data! Hopefully I haven't been too confusing with explanations.

Oh, Lindenare, thanks so much for the detailed instructions! It helps so much. Yes, I've got bad vibes about using any kind of alcohol (because of glue issues). But the bleach sounds like it would work. Hopefully, I can conduct the experiment later in the week. Thanks again!

[hanne jensen]

I would use a 10% household vinegar solution. Just wash the brush normally. I wouldn't soak the brush as it might ruin the bristles and glue. Remember to rinse well. After the brush is dry, put a tiny bit of coconut oil on your hands and gently apply to the bristles. Household vinegar in a 10% solution will kill 89% of most known vira and over 90% bacteria. This is more than bleach and much gentler.

[78Whispers]

I stopped in to say vinegar as well. It kills almost everything and we can use it on our hair so it should not damage the brush. I use vinegar to disinfect many things, and so far everyone in my house is surviving.

[brickworld13]

I'm also going to chime in with vinegar. I've used it to disinfect many things, wash windows, clear up all manner of infections, and treat breakouts. Vinegar is awesome stuff, and it is not harmful to hair. Though I would be concerned with how it interactst with the glue. Hmmm. I don't have anything to experiment on.

[Gertrude]

Only hair brushes in regular use contain dust-mites, fungi and bacteria in larger numbers. They don't live for many months on a dry unused brush. But yes, anyone would want to clean a second hand brush. With an antique or used BBB it's worth looking at the bristles, for signs of wear and tear. Broken off bristles, splayed out, looking split. Also signs of being brittle, if you run your thumb over the bristles do they give a bit or feel like they're breaking. Discard as broken off, splayed and brittle BBB bristles will harm your hair.

I would keep the brush double-bagged to keep out moisture, in the freezer for a few weeks, then give it a good wash with either natural castile type soap, or with whatever it is called the original Fairy Liquid/Dawn dish soap, washing up liquid. Procter & Gamble. They both disinfect well.

Bleach only works if there is no organic matter left, and easily gives a false sense of security. Freezing kills off dust-mites and the soap/detergent kills bacteria and fungi. You can certainly use bleanch after the soap, but vinegar is pretty much as good and much less corrosive than bleach to the brush. But just freezer and soap will work.

I used to work in a thrift store and we treated hair brushes, pet brushes, clothes brushes and soft toys with this process and they came up smelling lovely.......and were clean (-:

[Madora]

Many thanks for your replies: hannejensen, 78Whispers, brickworld13 and Gertrude! I appreciate your expertise!

Gertrude, your post was very interesting! Yes, you're right about examining old, antique brush bristles closely. Since they are old, the chances of the bristles being damaged or loose is very probable. You sure don't want to ruin your hair because you fell in love with an antique brush with damaged bristles!

That freezer tip took me by surprise, but it sounds like a good idea! I never knew about freezing the brush to remove all those little gremlins! How about dat?! Dawn Dishwashing soap? Who knew!

Now, one last question to all you vinegar fans...does it make any difference what kind of vinegar you use for disinfecting purposes? Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar? Also, what is the dilution ratio: 1/2 a cup of vinegar to 1/2 a cup of water? Should the water be room temperature or hot? Many thanks! Oh, and Gertrude, did the thrift store sell many old/antique brushes??

[Gertrude]

@Madora, the thrift shop was connected to the animal shelter I volunteered at; and we got a few hairbrushes for people, the ones with nice backs, we could sell as vintage. We also got brushes for grooming animals, often quite expensive ones, and people adopting dogs would gladly buy them. As long as we guaranteed the brush had no ring-worm or whatever to give the new four-legged friend.

Freezing will kill off dust-mites and related; you still need to wash afterwards.

The irony is that Procter&Gamble sell special dish soaps with " anti-bacterial" in, but the old fashioned, original green kind in a heavy solution, so 2 tablespoons to a quart/litre of water, will clean bird tables and other surfaces for animals without being any harm to the creatures. it's very anti-bacterial.

Any natural soap that foams is anti bacterial also. If a soap stops foaming it's stopped working.

I use a squirt of white vinegar in quite warm water. The same two table-spoons to a quart/litre.

Bleach is promoted as the re-assuring disinfectant but it is inactivated by organic matter and it does damage fabrics etc. Cleaning with detergent and thoroughly drying the cleaned surface is usually all the disinfecting you need.


Some of the vintage brushes for people had never been used, 1950s ones, others were silver-backed and thread-bare. So we sold those as ornamental only.

We got all sorts of things really, donated by the public. Very kind people. I love natural materials like cotton and wool because they redeem beautifully when you clean them properly and give them a bit of love.

[hanne jensen]

Many thanks for your replies: hannejensen, 78Whispers, brickworld13 and Gertrude! I appreciate your expertise!

Gertrude, your post was very interesting! Yes, you're right about examining old, antique brush bristles closely. Since they are old, the chances of the bristles being damaged or loose is very probable. You sure don't want to ruin your hair because you fell in love with an antique brush with damaged bristles!

That freezer tip took me by surprise, but it sounds like a good idea! I never knew about freezing the brush to remove all those little gremlins! How about dat?! Dawn Dishwashing soap? Who knew!

Now, one last question to all you vinegar fans...does it make any difference what kind of vinegar you use for disinfecting purposes? Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar? Also, what is the dilution ratio: 1/2 a cup of vinegar to 1/2 a cup of water? Should the water be room temperature or hot? Many thanks! Oh, and Gertrude, did the thrift store sell many old/antique brushes??

Madora, I juse the cheapest of the cheap household no brand name vinegar for disinfecting in the household. 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water to really clean in the kitchen and bathroom. I also use this on doorknobs and doorjambs. For glass, only use a 5% solution. Any stronger will turn glass milky over time. Vinegar and water is also good for removing nasty smells. I love the stuff as it is cheap and environment friendly.