How to Clean a Comb and Hair Brush
Think for a minute about how many times you have used your current comb or hairbrush over the course of its lifetime. Now compare that to the amount of times you have cleaned it.
Now, think about all of the oil, dry skin, and loose hair that has built up in your unwashed comb and hair brush that you have been brushing BACK into your clean hair each time you use it. Gross, right?
Don’t brush your hair with dirty brushes. Instead, let’s learn how to clean a comb and hair brush.
How to Clean a Comb
What You Need
- Scissors
- Gentle shampoo
- Cleaning toothbrush
- Sink or bowl of warm water
- Towel
How to Clean a Comb
- Remove all excess hair from your comb. If hair is wrapped around the comb too tightly to remove with your fingers, cut through it with scissors to loosen.
- Fill your sink or bowl with warm water and a few drops of gentle shampoo.
- Submerge your comb into the warm, soapy water and using a cleaning toothbrush, scrub your comb until clean.
- Rinse your comb under clean water.
- Towel dry completely before putting it away.
How to Deodorize and Disinfect Your Comb with Vinegar
Vinegar acts as a natural disinfectant, making it a great product for cleaning a dirty comb.
- Fill a bowl or basin with 1 part distilled white vinegar and 1 part warm water.
- Submerge your comb in the vinegar and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Towel dry your comb before putting it away.
How to Clean a Hair Brush
What You Need
- Comb with a pointed handle (or a sharp pencil)
- Scissors
- Gentle shampoo
- Cleaning toothbrush
- Towel
How to clean a hairbrush
- After daily use, remove loose hairs either with your fingers or by running the pointed edge of a comb through the center of the brush and lifting up the loose hairs.
- If hair has built up around the bristles, grab a pair of scissors and cut down the middle of your tangled brush hair to loosen it.
- Run your brush under hot water, then scrub the bristles and base of the brush with gentle shampoo and a cleaning toothbrush.
- Rinse your shampooed brush under warm water, then let dry completely with the bristles facing down before putting it away.
Hot Tip: If you’re in the market for a new hair brush, I can’t recommend the Wet Brush highly enough. After it had been passionately recommended to me by 3 (expensive) hair stylists in San Francisco I finally got my act together and purchased one. With proper care, it has lasted me years so far. No regrets. Enjoy!
How to Clean a Boar Bristle Brush
What You Need
- Comb with a pointed handle (or a sharpened pencil)
- Gentle shampoo
- Towel
How to clean a boar bristle hairbrush
- Start by removing loose hair from your brush. Use the pointed handle of a comb to help gently lift trapped hair from the bristles of your brush.
- Rinse the brush under warm water
- Using your fingers, work a small amount of gentle shampoo into the pad of the brush and the bristles.
- Rinse your brush once again under warm water until completely clean.
- Allow your brush to dry completely on a towel, bristles down, before putting it away.
How Often Should You Clean Your Comb or Hair Brush?
Once a month is generally a good goal for how often you should clean your comb or hair brush. With that said, you might want to clean them more often if you don’t regularly wash your hair (see my favorite non-toxic dry shampoo recipe).
I am looking for the answer of how to get rid of the lint/dirt/dust that sticks around the wet brush “bristle”. It does not pull off, nor wash off. I hate buying a new brush every time it gets gross. There has to be an answer. Washing it in soapy water does not help.
Good question Melissa! I know exactly what you’re talking about – and while it’s tedious, the only way I have found to effectively remove that lint is to use a small sharp pair of scissors and cut it away from each bristle. It takes a few minutes but the brush looks good as new afterwards.