Hair brushes and combs are necessary for detangling your hair and making it smooth and healthy. But when was the last time you cleaned your hairbrush? The answer for how to clean a hair brush is still unkown let’s explore more about the process from my own home remedies of cleaning.
Cleaning hair brushes is an important part of keeping your scalp healthy. Not only will a dirty brush cause irritation, but it can also lead to bad hair days. According to Healthline, shedding 50-100 hairs daily is normal, but excessive hair shedding is alarming.
A hairbrush acts like a sponge by soaking up the dirt, oils, and dead skin from your hair and scalp. Thus, you must wash it more often if you don’t want dirt and oils to stick to your hair.
Here are some easy steps on how to clean a hair brush the right way; follow them and TA-DA.. see the magic.
What you need:
- A hair brush
- Dish soap or shampoo
- Towel
- Rinsing water
STEPS
- Fill a bowl with warm water and mild soap.
- Squeeze the brush’s bristles in the water, then use a towel to dry it off completely.
- Empty the soapy water into the sink and rinse the brush with hot water.
- Put the brush back in its holder, and you’re ready!
How frequently should you clean your brush?
There’s no hard and fast rule regarding how often you should wash your brush, depending on the brush type and the usage frequency.if you use hair creams, gels, or other hair products or have oily hair, you should wash and clean your brush once or twice a week. If you face dandruff, you should thoroughly clean your brush every second day.
CAUTION- Strictly remove the hairs from your brush every time after brushing.
How to clean a hair brush – Best Cleaning instructions:

1. Remove hair and dirt
Removing the hairs from your brush is the 1st step of cleaning. With the help of a rat tail comb, empty the brush of all hair and dirt. If you don’t have a rat tail comb, any other pointed object like a pen or pencil will work.
2. Dip and wash the brush
- Take a small bowl and fill it with lukewarm water.
- Add soap or shampoo to the water-filled bowl. Stir until the soap is completely dissolved.
- Dip the bristles in soap water solution
- Swish the brush in the water and soap mixture for 2-3 minutes or until the brush is clean.
3. Use a toothbrush
- If your brush is still dirty, you can use a toothbrush. You can use an old toothbrush to give a final round to your cleaning process.
- Dip the toothbrush in soap water
- Scrub every bristle of your brush with a toothbrush to clean the remaining dirt.
4. A Final wash
Rinse the bristles with cold tap water to cool and stop the reaction between the hair and soap.
5. Clean the handle
It’s not enough to know how to clean a hair brush, but the handle is the most important yet neglected part of the cleaning process. The handle is the most vulnerable to germs, and washing it is as important as washing your brush.
If you have plastic brush, you can just wash it with soap or shampoo. Be a bit careful with wooden brushes. Do not dip the handle in water, as it will damage the wood. Just clean it once with soap and water and gently rinse it off with a wet cloth.
Apply a wood polish after it is completely dried to give it a shiny look and to protect the wood from further damage.
6. Dry the brush
Place the brush on a towel or fine cloth, so the bristles face downward. Wait until all the water dries off.
Can baking soda be used for cleaning?

The answer is YES. Baking soda is good for removing grit and grime with its highly abrasive properties.
To clean the hairbrush, mix baking soda with a small amount of shampoo and use it to clean the bristles.
Be sure to rinse off the brush after using the baking soda.
Conditioners can be used to help seal in the cleaning and prevent future buildup.
Other ways to clean your brush

There are a few different ways to clean your hair brush. You can use hot water and soap, you can use a hairbrush cleaner, or you can use a dry shampoo. The methods for how to clean a hair brush are all the same for each way. Here are the instructions on how to clean a hairbrush in other ways:
- Fill a bowl or sink with lukewarm water and add enough soap to cover the brush’s bristles.
- If you’re using shampoo or hairbrush cleaner for cleaning purposes, add the product in water instead of soap.
- Swirl the brush around in the water until the soap has lathered up.
- Let the buildup dirt be removed by dipping the hairbrush in soap water for 10-15 minutes.
- Hold the brush under running tap water for about 30 seconds or until the bristles are clean.
- Let the brush soak in the sink for a few minutes to soften any residual soap residue.
- Rinse the bristles in fresh water, hang the brush on a hook, or place it in a downward position to dry.
- You can also use your hair dryer to heat dry the brush quickly. But, be careful not to provide it with more than enough heat. Excessive heat would deform the plastic parts of your brush.
- Condition the bristles by putting them in a small bag of rice or corn starch and shaking for a few minutes
- Rinse off the bristles and dry with a towel
- Store in a clean place
Bottomline
Keeping your things clean is a part of sanity. We give so much attention to our hair but none to our hair brushes, which play a major role in keeping our hair healthy. We hope our detailed guide on how to clean a hair brush is helpful for you now it’s your responsibility to keep your brush clean as it’s hygenic and good for your hair.
So next time you brush your hair, remember to clean and wash it. Also, thank this little gentleman for keeping your hair detangled and smooth!
Don’t forget to check the cleaning process of hot comb in our recent blog.