With regular use, your hair brush will collect a messy mound of hair strands. You pull these hair strands out when the mess grows, but this is not the only step necessary to thoroughly clean your brushes. Without taking the necessary steps to deep clean hairbrushes regularly, they will get coated in filth that’s unhealthy for your hair.
Why Clean Your Hairbrush
Many elements are on your hair and scalp, and they build up in greater amounts each time you brush. In fact, oil, dirt, dust, dandruff and lint are only some of the things that come off on your brush. These are reintroduced to your head when brushing, and they can emit a foul odor.
In addition, they could even have mites, bacteria and yeast. These are all things that you don’t want on your head. The only way to prevent them from building up is to clean your hairbrush regularly.
How Often Should You Clean and Replace Your Hairbrush?
Many people wait until their brush is visibly dirty to clean it, but this isn‘t recommended. The buildup becomes problematic well before the brush looks dirty.
Generally, hairbrushes should be cleaned thoroughly every two to four weeks. If you normally use hair products, such as gel or hairspray, two weeks is recommended. If you normally use a brush on clean hair and don’t use products, it’s safe to go four weeks between cleanings.
What is the Best Way to Clean Hair Brushes?
To clean hairbrushes, you need a large bowl, a hand towel, a toothbrush, baking soda, shampoo and a tail comb.
First, pull the hair out of the brush. This may be easiest to do with a comb or chopsticks. Combine a few drops of shampoo with a teaspoon of baking soda and warm water in the bowl. Soak the brush in the cleaning solution for 15 minutes. Then, scrub the toothbrush with the toothbrush. Rinse the brush, and allow it to dry before using it.
If you have a natural hairbrush, however, do not soak your brush in water. Instead, quickly submerge the brush in the soapy water. Take extra care when cleaning it with the toothbrush.
More Hacks & Methods
How to Clean Hair Brushes Lint
Often, gray lint is left behind after removing the hair from the brush. This is actually hair oil rather than lint. It may also have hair product residue. Complete the deep cleaning steps. These will typically remove most or all of the matter. For lingering matter, run a toothbrush up the bristles.
When you notice that your hairbrush starts to look gunky and has lint and fuzz on it, you should probably take a few minutes to clean it. Check out additional hairbrush cleaning tips in this video:
How to Clean Hair Brushes That Have Come in Contact with Lice?
If the brush has been used by someone with lice, you need to clean it regularly until the lice problem is gone. Start by removing the hair as usual. Then, clean it thoroughly by soaking it in rubbing alcohol. An alternative is to soak it in water with a few drops of medicated lice shampoo. Rinse the brush thoroughly, and allow it to dry.
How to Clean Hair Brushes from Dandruff?
If you suffer from dandruff, the dandruff flakes come off your scalp when brushing and accumulate in the hairbrush. These flakes may be reintroduced to your head when you brush again. Generally, dandruff is removed by following the standard brush cleaning steps. However, you may need to pick out any remaining flakes. Rather than picking them out by hand, you can clean the bristles from the base up using a toothbrush.
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