How to clean a hairbrush

Hairbrushes are without a doubt one of the most often used beauty tools in your kit. They’re put into action on most days and take a bit of battering, more often than not getting clogged up with loose hair. It’s really important to keep your brush in tiptop condition, both for its performance and for hygiene too. With that said, let’s take a look at how to clean a hairbrush a number of different ways.

Why clean your hairbrushes?

As with all of your beauty tools, hairbrushes are just as prone to getting messed up. It’s not just hair you need to look out for though, dry skin, oil, grease and everyday gunk can all cling to your locks, which in turn can be transferred onto your brushes. That doesn’t just result in clogged up bristles; it opens the door to bacteria too. Knowing how to clean a hairbrush is going to get rid of those little nasties and make sure that your brush is working as well as it can be.

Gentle cleaning

There’s no need to scrub, scrub and scrub your hairbrush clean all the time, but it’s good to get into the practice of gentle cleaning at least once a week. That basically means clearing the build up of hair and gently working through the bristles to remove debris. Use a pick or the back of a comb to loosen hair and then snip any tangled bits with scissors. Then get a dry old toothbrush and sweep out what’s left and you’re good to go.

Cleaning with warm water

The first step is always to remove hair as above, and then you can get to work cleaning. Grab a mug or cup and add a little shampoo to some warm water. Take a small brush (your trusty old toothbrush is fine) and start at the bottom of the brush working up through each bristle. Make sure to give the edges a scrub too and get to the base of each individual bristle. Hold the brush by the handle upside down and rinse under the tap until the water runs clear.

Deep cleaning with vinegar

Sometimes soap and water won’t quite do and that’s when white vinegar can work wonders. It’s not just great at cleaning, it also has antibacterial properties. Start off with a bowl of hot water and mix in an equal amount of vinegar. The hot water and vinegar will combine to help kill off bacteria and loosen any hard-to-move residue.

Going through the steps for how to clean a hairbrush this way is easy. All you have to do is immerse the head of the brush in the water and leave for a few minutes. Lift it out, remove any last bits and then rinse. Place the brush on a towel and let it air dry before the next use. As a slight word of caution, be careful not to soak wooden brushes as this could damage the frame.

Now that you know how to clean a hairbrush properly you can put these tips into action. Do that and not only will you have a sparkling brush, it’ll be easier to use and your hair will be forever thankful.