How To Clean Hair Brushes

Clean hair brushes and combs are not only more appealing to look at - they will also keep your hair clean longer. The good news: It's easy to clean hair brushes, and you should plan to clean them weekly.

All you need to get these grooming essentials clean is shampoo, running water, and a toothpick (for really settled-in hairbrush hair).

Here's how the weekly brush cleaning routine shakes out.

1.  Remove Hair from Brush Bristles

Pull as much hair from the bristles as possible with your fingers. Use a toothpick to loosen and remove tightly bound hair.

2.  Soak Brush in Warm Water and Shampoo

Soak the brush or comb in a sink filled with warm water and a squirt of shampoo for about 15 minutes. This will help loosen surface oils or hair styling products for removal.

The shampoo will also clean hairbrush bristles and comb surfaces at the same time. Gently scrub the base of the hair brush, or the teeth of the comb, with your fingers after the 15-minute soak. Then move on to the bristles.

Continue gently removing debris until all the hair and visible buildup on the base and the bristles disappear. Rinse with clean water. Lay on a towel and allow to air-dry. 

3.  Clean Hair Brushes with Stubborn Oily Deposits with Vinegar

If the bristles still don't feel clean, submerge the brush in a coffee mug filled with equal parts of warm water and vinegar. This will help break up and remove stubborn, oily deposits. Let soak for 15 minutes. Rinse, and then dry the brush flat on a clean towel.

4.  Clean Wood, Padded, or Rubber Brush Cushions Without Submerging

If your brush has a wood base, rubber padding, or has natural boar bristles, clean it under warm running water with shampoo - without submerging it in water. Water can go through the vent holes on cushioned brushes and will erode the cushioning.

On wood brushes, sustained exposure to water can cause the wood to weaken and break. And natural boar bristles can twist or curl.