It is the correct use of your clothes brush that removes dust, dander and debris. Always remember that brushing should never be a scrubbing movement; it requires a strong sweeping motion or a firm flick of your wrist on areas where dust or debris has accumulated. All strokes must go in the same way; otherwise, when light strikes the cloth, it will look a mess, like the ruffled hair on a horse’s shank.
You must first brush the nap—i.e brush against the lie (nap)of the material—to remove all the dust that is trapped inside it. Then brush down the nap for a smooth finish. If you want to brush out a mark, brush it with short, quick strokes, but never jab at cloth or you are likely to break the fiber.
Freshen up your show jacket or wool cooler by using a damp brush. Spray the bristles of your brush with water and flick the water from the bristles so the brush is left slightly damp, not wet. Brush as usual following the above technique.
Brush your show coat before show day with a slightly damp brush. If your coat is very dusty, brush it with a dry brush first and then use a slightly damp brush to freshen it up.
These instructions for using a clothes brush are adapted from The Butler’s Guide to Clothes Care, Managing the Table, Running the Home & Other Graces published in 1980 by Stanley Ager, former Butler to the second and third Lords St. Levan.
