How To Clean Your Hair Brush

Today’s reader question comes from Susan.  She left her question in the comments section of the post Surviving and Thriving, which you can read here.

Susan writes  

Hi Kirsten,
I have a question, how do you clean a hair brush to get all the hairs out of it.
Many Thanks Susan.

Great question Susan!  I’m so pleased you asked because my hairbrush is looking particularly hair ridden (aka FERAL) and finding the answer to your question has finally made me do something about it.  So thank you!

How to clean your hair brush 

Firstly, it’s important to regularly clean your hair brush because over time everything that might be in your hair (product, dandruff, dirt, skin particles etc) will build up on the brush and you’ll be caught in a cycle of brushing that gunk back into your hair.  Eeewww.

There are two options when it comes to cleaning your hair brush:

1. Throw it out and buy a new one (probably only realistic if you have the hair budget of Mariah Carey)
2. Actually clean it using the following steps below (Boring but practical. Think of it as a Martha Stewart Moment – that will either make you beam with pride or look for the vodka. Either option is acceptable!)

1. Remove as much hair as possible from your brush

If you have a flat/paddle brush, lift the hair away from the base and remove.  

If you have a round brush, lift the hair away from the base and cut the hair in a straight line length-wise using a pair of scissors. You should then be able to easily remove the hair.

2. Place your brush in a dish or sink and cover with hot water

It’s important to note that this method is not suitable for rubber cushioned, wooden bodied or natural boar bristle brushes or combs!  Placing those types of brushes/combs in water will ruin them.  Good old plastic brushes and combs are best suited for this method.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and swirl until dissolved

4. Let your brush soak in the water for 15 minutes

This will loosen any hair, dust etc that may still be trapped in the brush.  It will also dissolve any built up product and once the next step is complete your brush will look like new again.

5. Rinse your brush, removing any hair or stray particles before placing on a towel to air dry

6. Marvel at how sparkling clean your brush is and share this post on Facebook so your friends can have clean hair brushes too!

And there we have it – How to clean your hair brush in only a few easy eco-friendly steps!   Thank you Susan, for asking the question.

If you’ve got a question you would like solved, I would love to answer it.  Leave it in the comments section here on the blog or over on Facebook and I’ll get onto it for you ASAP.

How often do you clean your hair brush? Or do you throw it out Mariah Carey style and buy a new one instead?

PS: My hair brush of choice is a Tangle Teezer (pictured above)  It’s brilliant for using on wet, curly hair (gets those pesky knots out without damaging the curls) and if you’ve got young children or toddlers with hair that’s prone to stubborn knots, a Tangle Teezer or a similar brand is well worth a try.  This isn’t a sponsored post/endorsement, just a helpful tip from one high maintenance head of hair to another!