It seems obvious. Hairbrushes get hairy – they need to be cleaned out. I’m pretty obsessed with cleaning mine out, and on more than one occasion, I’ve been known to do a deep cleaning of my friends’ brushes while using their bathroom. No judgement! But, when you really think about it, a clean and well-maintained hairbrush is a pretty big deal.
Let’s think about what accumulates in your hairbrush. Hair is the first thing that comes to mind. No big deal. How about styling product, conditioner, scalp oil, dust, bacteria, bits of flaky scalp, and if you’re really lucky, dust mites or lice.
Hmmmm.
When your flat/paddle brushes get dirty, they mostly just pose a hygiene issue. However, when your round brushes get overly hairy and grimy, you lose a lot of tension in your blow out. This robs your hair of smoothness and shine.
Clean out those brushes!
In the salon, we have fancy gadgets to clean the hair from our brushes. You can purchase these at beauty supply stores if you’re so inclined, or you can do it the old fashioned way; crack your knuckles and start pulling. If there’s a significant accumulation of hair, it may be easier to grab a pair of scissors and snip through the hair (between a row of bristles, of course).
Take a nice look at the hairball you’ve just disarmed, and make a promise to yourself to never let it get that bad again (I recommend cleaning every couple of weeks).
If your brush is plastic, go ahead and shampoo it. I’m serious! Fill up your sink with some hot water and let it soak for a couple minutes. Scrub it with shampoo and then let it sit in the hot water for about ten minutes. Set it on a towel and let it air dry.
If your brush is wooden, spray it with rubbing alcohol or disinfecting spray. Just a couple of sprays. I recommend alcohol, as disinfecting sprays are usually scented, and tend to leave a film behind. Nobody wants to walk around with Lysol-scented hair.
We spend a lot of money to color, cut, style, and treat our hair. Keep those tools clean and in tip top shape!
In beauty inside and out,
Melanie