How to Clean Your Hairbrush

Have you ever sat in your hair salon and wondered if they cleaned their hair brushes? Chances are you have not because it seems obvious that they would… So when was the last time you cleaned your own hair brushes?

If your answer is ‘never’ or ‘it's been a while’, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We replace toothbrushes regularly and we know we’ve got to clean makeup brushes, but even though we use them daily most people don’t have a clue how to keep their hair brushes squeaky clean. Thanks to Lady Jayne, here’s your handy guide.

Why is it important to clean your hairbrush?

PSA: hair brushes are gross. They can retain all kinds of residue, not just from your hair but also from the environment - your bathroom, the bottom of your travel bag etc. Firstly, there’s hair. It’s normal to shed and that’s one of the reasons we brush. But your hair brush also collects dust, lint, dead skin cells, scalp oil and product residue especially if you use a leave-in conditioner or styling products such as hairspray.

Though these products are essential to your hair care or styling routine, this residue can build up in your brush’s bristles and its base, making it perform poorly. Leaving your brushes with this buildup means that every time you use them, you could be transferring it all back to your hair again. Like putting on sweaty gym clothes after a shower, it just doesn’t make sense.

Hair brushes are not self-cleaning, we wish. But if you’re a little weird like us, be prepared to find a new addition to your self-care routine, because nothing is more satisfying than cleaning hair and buildup out of your favourite brush’s bristles until it’s brand new again. Let us show you how!

How often should you be washing and cleaning your brushes?

You should be cleaning your hairbrushes as often as you would be cleaning your makeup brushes, but it also depends on how often you use them and what kind of hair products you use.

• As a rule of thumb, try to remove hair buildup from your brushes every couple of days. And it’s even better if you remove it after every use!
• For someone who regularly uses haircare products, it is recommended to clean your brushes once a week.
• For someone who doesn’t use many hair care products, you can get away with cleaning your brushes every few weeks.

Let's get cleaning!

So now that we’ve convinced you, let's take a deeper dive into how to clean each brush (yes, there are different brush types, and different ways to clean them too!)

How to clean Plastic Brushes

Lady Jayne boasts a variety of plastic brushes (which are great for detangling) including: Smooth & Knotless, Tangle Pro Wet Detangling Brush and our Flexi-Glide Brush.

To Clean:

• Use a comb to remove excess hair stuck within your brush.
• Fill a bowl or sink with warm water, a small amount of mild shampoo and a teaspoon of baking soda and mix together.
• Dip your brush into the water (there’s no harm in soaking it either) then brush away any excess buildup with a clean toothbrush.
• Wash residue off the brush and pop it onto a towel to dry.

Hop tip: Don't forget to clean your comb by dipping it in the water and using the clean toothbrush to remove the buildup too! And make sure you don’t use this toothbrush for anything else.

How to clean Boar Bristle Brushes

Lady Jayne prides itself on creating amazing Boar Bristle hair brushes such as: our Premium Brush, Boar Bristle Pad Brush and Salon Pro Large Porcupine Radial Brush.

While natural bristles add shine to your hair, they can also build up hair products, dead skin cells and dust in the same way that your hair would!

• Use a comb to remove excess hair stuck within your brush.
• Fill a bowl or sink with warm soapy water or warm water with shampoo.
• Lather your bristles well and massage bristles to clean away the residue. If your brush is really dirty, use a fine tooth comb to clean between bristles.
• If your brush has a wooden handle, do not soak it - only dip the bristles into the water when lathering and rinsing.
• Allow your brush to dry overnight in a well-ventilated area.

Hot tip: If your brush is multi-tufted with Boar and Nylon bristles, clean them the same way you would clean a full boar bristle brush!

How to clean Wooden Brushes

Immersing your wooden brushes in water is not a great idea if you want them to last a long time - so you’ll need to use a damp cloth to clean your wooden brush.

• You can also use a dedicated hairbrush cleaning spray or use a diluted mix of essential oil and water.
• If your brush is extra dirty, go in with a clean toothbrush to remove buildup on the base of the brush.

In conclusion

You are now a hair brush cleaning expert, we love that for you! Whether it’s a synthetic, boar bristle or wooden brush, these are the right techniques to keep it clean and performing at its best for longer. Which means your hair will feel better and shine brighter into the new year.

Now take your skills and teach your friends, you have our full permission to act horrified when they say they haven’t cleaned their hair brushes in ages.