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Advice

How to Clean Your Hairbrushes

How to Clean Your Hairbrushes
Josie Wilkins
Writer and expert3 years ago
View Josie Wilkins's profile

Brushing your hair is a daily essential, just like brushing your teeth or washing your face. It helps keep your hair smooth, tangle-free, and polished. Yet, toothbrushes and face-clothes are given a different treatment. The paste is rinsed out of the bristles and the cloth is tossed into the wash-basket. They are kept clean, as it would be unhygienic to use anything else on our mouths and faces. However, for some reason cleaning the hairbrush has been overlooked in the past. In fact, it's not often taught how to give your hairbrush that same care and maintenance. 

This is how to clean your hairbrushes. 

What is the best way to clean hairbrushes?

Many pull out the excess hairs from the bristles and consider their brush good as new. However, this is only the first step how to clean your hairbrush. For that illustrious glossy and silky finish, there's a few more additional steps to take. The aim is to completely cleanse the bristles of residue. The less residue on the hairbrush, the less build up you will create on your hair's strands and in the scalp. 

woman looking at ends of hair
  1. The best way to clean hairbrushes is to first discard hairs that have accumulated, then fill a sink with warm water then gently scrub the pins with an old toothbrush or your finger to remove hair product residues and dirt. Then rinse thoroughly and make sure that there are no residues that could damage the brush or irritate the scalp. To finish, gently pat the brush with a towel.

  2. When using a high-quality hairbrush such as the Christophe Robin Detangling Hairbrush, there's no need to soak the boar bristles and wooden handle in the water. Simply use a toothbrush to cleanse between the bristles. 
  3. Apply a pea-size amount of Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo with Aloe Vera – Christophe Robin UKon to a toothbrush and lightly brush between the bristles. 
  4. To make sure the brush is fully free of shampoo, keep rising the toothbrush and scrubbing until no soapy water remains. 
  5. Lay the brush down on a towel with its bristles facing down and the handle slightly elevated. This will allow the water to drain properly rather than getting trapped in the brush and the elevated handle helps the hairbrush dry out more evenly 

Good to know: Regular cleaning prevents dirt buildup, so you won’t need deep cleans that waste extra water. A quick rinse in the shower helps keep your brush fresh with minimal effort! 

Do I need to clean my hairbrush?

A quick brush of the ends instantly achieves a polished look, which is why hairbrushes are relied upon so heavily. They're shoved into bags, carried around all day, and used on repeat. Now consider the amount of dust and dirt that the hairbrush can pick up throughout it's travels. According to Glamour UK, a report carried out by the University of Arizona found that "hairbrushes are the worst breeding ground for bacteria, housing even more than a plughole or a dog bowl." So why is it that how to clean hairbrushes is rarely discussed? 

On those dry-shampoo days, the hairbrush runs from the root to the tips, collecting the excess oil plus the product being used to conceal it. Now, skip forward to the wash day. After cleansing the scalp with a Purifying Scrub and nourishing the strands with a hydarting shampoo with aloe vera, re-using the same brush will only deposit the bacteria collected previously back into the refreshed, detoxified hair. 

Keeping your hairbrush clean helps it work better, making detangling easier and reducing hair damage. It also prevents oil buildup, since a dirty brush can spread grease and make hair feel oily faster. Plus, regular cleaning helps your brush last longer. 

How often should I clean my hairbrush?

Once you know how to clean your hairbrushes properly, you should be doing so once a month. However, according to Healthline, "if you regularly use styling creams, gels, or hairspray, a good rule of thumb is to clean your hairbrush once a week." 

Another thing to consider is how often you carry it around with you. At the bottom of a handbag, the hairbrush can pick up dust and dirt which could potentially cause irritation to the scalp. The more build up collected, the more often you should clean your hairbrush. 

The question of the frequency also depends on your hair type. You don't know yet your hair type ? Let's answer this Haircare Routine Quiz | Luxury Haircare | Christophe Robin ! 

How to store hairbrushes

Now that the best way to clean hairbrushes has been established, how to store them? Ideally, like makeup and wash products, the hairbrush should have its own separate bag to be stored in if being brought on travels. This will prevent the need to clean the hairbrush so often. 

At home, the aim is to have a set location for storing your hairbrush. Once there is a space where it can be stored, it's less likely to be tossed around, perhaps ending up down the side, or worse, under the couch. 

After the efforts spent renewing the brushes bristles, you want to maintain its condition for as long as possible. Take a look at this DIY guide to combine a weekend activity and creating a hygienic space for your hairbrush.

hair brushes on tray

Irresistible skin is difficult to achieve if washed with an unclean facecloth and the same applies to the scalp and hair. An unclean facecloth can clog pores like how an unclean hairbrush can clog the scalp. Whether it's for blow-dries or de-tangling, it's essential to know how to clean your hairbrush. 

A clean, gentle hairbrush is a step in the right direction to silky smooth strands. To understand what kind of brush is for you, look at how to use a Boar Bristle Hairbrush. 

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Josie Wilkins
Writer and expert
View Josie Wilkins's profile
Josie is an Online Beauty Editor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Her passions involve all things skincare and beauty and in her free time she likes to travel, read and get her beauty sleep.
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