The more you think about the porous wood… the residue in the fibers of the brush… the nooks and crannies that are almost impossible to clean… the more you think there has to be another way. There is; and too many cooks are still skeptical.
Even I never thought the new fangled silicone basting brushes would EVER work as well as my trusty paint brush – type basting brush. It wasn’t the price… you can buy a bag of cheap paint brushes at Lowes for just a few bucks. In fact, I always thought the plastic / silicone basting brushes would just not grab enough sauce. That was before I tried it. 
The designers of the BBQ tool (the brush shown is made by Rubbermaid) really thought it through. The individual brush “needles” are textured with hoops and bumps that “grab” onto everything from oil to BBQ sauce. Unlike the old style brush there’s no deterioration, no loose brush hairs, and it’s easy to clean. They feel great in your hand and are easy to manipulate. Best of all they’re relatively cheap, especially considering may brands come with a lifetime guarantee. There are now lots of different manufacturers: see them here.
It’s easy to stick with tradition in cooking, but a silicone brush for cooking this is a tool worth trying.