Don't know if this has been posted before - it'a a little gadget I made to help with the grooming of pick-up braids. It's a piece of brass sheet with a slot cut in it. The slot needs to just a little wider than the thickness of an average guide blade.
Slip it in place between the braids and the baseplate of the guide and you have a little platform to support the braids as you work on them. The photo shows a steel brush - that works well to spread the ends of the braids, a softer brush can be used for cleaning. The plate will protect the chassis and is also helpful If you want to use a cleaning liquid.