How to properly clean your hairbrush

KEEPING YOUR THINGS WELL KEPT - our ongoing product care series.

When was the last time you cleaned your hairbrush? My guess is that it has probably been too long. Cleaning your hairbrush is a crucial, yet often overlooked, step in maintaining clean and healthy hair. It is essential to clean your brush regularly to remove accumulated dirt, dust, and any hair products that may have built up over time.

I try to clean my brush 2-3 times a month. Here's how I go about it:

1 / REMOVE LOOSE HAIR
The first step in cleaning your hairbrush is to remove any loose hair that is tangled in the bristles. You can use your fingers as a comb, an actual fine-tooth comb, or a brush-cleaning rake like this one. Try to remove as much hair as possible before moving on to the next step.

2 / SOAK THE BRUSH
Fill a small dish with a 1:1 mixture of warm water and baking soda. Place the hairbrush bristles-down in the water and allow them to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. The solution will help to break down any hair products and dirt that have built up on the brush.
***If your hairbrush has a wooden handle, soak only the bristles to avoid causing the wood to swell and crack. Use a damp cloth to wipe the handle portion clean.

3 / SCRUB THE BRUSH
After soaking the brush, use a clean toothbrush to gently scrub the bristles and brush pad. Using a circular motion will remove any remaining dirt and hair products.

4 / RINSE THE BRUSH
Rinse your hairbrush under warm running water. Make sure to rinse thoroughly, ensuring that all the bristles are clean and that the solution is completely washed off.

5 / DRY THE BRUSH
After rinsing, use a clean towel to pat the brush dry. Remove any excess water, place brush bristles-down, and allow it to air dry completely before using it again. Do not use a hair dryer or place the brush in direct sunlight, as this can damage the bristles and the brush pad.

The actual "cleaning" portion of the above takes less than ten minutes, and I like to do this right before bed so my brush has the chance to dry out overnight.

I hadn't been doing this regularly up until a couple of years ago, and once I did, I saw a dramatic increase in the number of days I could go between washes. It seems obvious now, but the correlation between a clean brush and clean hair hadn't occurred to me! Follow the steps above, and you can keep your hairbrush clean, extend its lifespan, and help you to achieve the very best results for your hair.

We advocate for having fewer better things and are firm believers that taking the time to properly care for your belongings is an important step towards living more sustainably. The longer you can make your things last, the less you’ll have to throw away and replace. Not very eloquent, but you get my gist—the most sustainable purchase is no purchase at all. That’s what inspired me to start this series of journal posts: well kept things keep well. I recently wrote about all natural ways to deep clean your bath towels and am open to any suggestions as to what you’d like me to share next!

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Get effective hair brush cleaning hacks with our all-natural tutorial. Learn how to remove dust, grime, and debris from your hair brush, and maintain its quality and longevity. Save money on expensive maintenance and invest in self-care essentials. Check out our guide today.