How to properly clean a Hairbrush

If you’re not rocking a shiny scalp, then chances are that your hairbrush needs some cleaning and that can be a disaster. If so, then you’ve come to the right place so grab your gloves!

Why do I need to clean it

Even though on the surface, the hairbrush may seem clean that’s far from reality. A hairbrush can trap dust, bristles, and dead skin cells. Even if you don’t use it that often, it will still end up dirty due to the surroundings, not to mention the strands of hair that will keep piling up. All these things can cause damage to your hair every time you use the same old dirty brush and will make it much more difficult to smoothly brush.

Due to this, health professionals recommend cleaning your brush every two to three weeks. If you’re the kind of person whose hair often sees hair wax or gel, then you might want to clean it every other week. That being said, let’s get to cleaning.

What do I need?

Cleaning a hairbrush is pretty quick and easy. All you need is a bowl of warm water, a toothbrush and shampoo. Depending on the kind of brush you have, the steps may vary slightly.

Get rid of the hair

That’s a given. For this step, you can use your hands to take out the strands or a rat tail comb in case the hair is nested deep inside the brush. In case you don’t have one lying around, you can also use anything pointed like a pencil. If the hair seems like they are tangled, it may need some cutting so grab your scissors. This will make it easier to then take out the hair.

Make a mixture

For this step, take a large bowl and fill it with warm water. Add about four to five drops of your shampoo to the bowl. We suggest you opt for a shampoo that does not have any dyes, sulfates, or other harmful ingredients. Remember that your brush will come directly in contact with your scalp so if a shampoo is harsh on your skin, it’s best to avoid that. If you want to go one step ahead, you can also use baking soda. Once you’ve poured the contents into the bowl, mix it steadily with a spoon.

Now take the brush and dip it inside the bowl. Leave it in there for a few minutes. Then take it out and use your hands to clean it. Repeat the process a few times. Because of this, the dust and soft particles will get removed. In case you have a wooden brush, try not to let the wooden part get wet.

Next, grab a toothbrush and scrub off the bristles. Depending on how often you clean your brush, the amount of time you spend here may vary. We will recommend you put in the effort and clean until it seems like all the particles have come off the surface of the brush.

Dry

Now it’s time to dry. Leaving it soaking is not a good idea so take your brush and wash it first with clean water and then using a cloth or a towel, wipe the brush. Don’t apply force because doing that could break the bristles. It’s better to leave the brush under the sun for a while after this. Avoid using it until it is completely dry. From here on, you’re good to go!

Do you have Lice?

In case you have lice, it’s better to take a few extra measures here. So grab your brush and put it in hot water. This should be hot enough to burn your hands so don’t touch it. Leave it to soak in the water for around ten to twenty minutes. This will kill any nits or lice still on the brush. Then take the brush and dry it using a towel. Once done, get rubbing alcohol and pour it over it. You want to be generous when you are doing this. If the lice survive, then they could continue to harm your hair so take your time with this step. Once you’re done, leave it to dry again.

Conclusion

More often than not, people don’t clean their hairbrushes for months. We recommend you it frequently and hope that you were able to follow along through the steps. That brings us to the end of the article. Thank you for reading!