I'm always surprised by the amount of very clean women who take pride in their appearance but still somehow, manage to have filthy, grubby hairbrushes. I know it isn't a huge, big thing in the grand scheme of life but a dirty hair brush gives me the shudders, especially when you consider how many of them are just tossed onto beds, in bags and on bathroom counters. It was really hard for me not clean out my brush for a week or so in order to take these photos so can I get applause for my temporary slattern ways?
How to clean a hairbrush
The number one thing when it comes to keeping your hair brush nice and clean is just to lift out any hair after every use, that way it doesn't become a big deal as it tends to if you leave it a long time. I clean my brush with option one every week and option 2 (both below) at the end of each month.
OPTION 1 - Weekly hair brush clean
What you will need
- Warm running water
- An old toothbrush
- A towel
- Mild shampoo or make up brush cleaner
Method
1. Remove any hair.
2. Wet the brush with warm water and pour on the teeniest little drop of shampoo (I use baby shampoo for this purpose) onto the brush.
3. Give it a gentle scrub with an old (clean) toothbrush.
4. Rinse well under the warm tap.
5. Pat against a towel to dry off and allow to fully air dry.
OPTION 2 - Monthly/very dirty hairbrush clean
What you will need
As above with the addition of
- Cocktail sticks/toothpicks/whatever the hell you want to call them
- Scissors
- Tea tree oil
Method
1. Remove any hair, if it is very tangled it may be best to use scissors. Be careful not to cut the brush in any way.
2. Follow steps 2&3 from above then -
3. Use a cocktail stick to run between the bristles and prongs paying special care to the base where any fluff may collect.
4. Run the wet toothbrush back through the brush again to pick up any last remnants of fluff or grime.
5. Rinse under a warm tap.
6. Fill a sink with warm water and 10-12 drops of tea tree oil, allow the brush to soak in this for a max of 20 mins.
7. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
Do you keep your hair brush looking tip top and clean? Are you likey to start now?
TTFN,
P.S. This is the Wednesday task from Daily Housewifery Prompts.
Nice! Great idea!
ReplyDelete~www.Tinacious.Me~
i always pull the hair out of my brush but ive never washed it. i will do now though cause just thinking of all the dirt has made me cringe!!
ReplyDeletethankyou for this post :) x
http://xtiffyxx.blogspot.co.uk
I have a circular hair brush and have to cut the hair off because of how tangled it gets - I'm surprised I still have hair on my head when I see how much comes out lol.
ReplyDeleteCan I ask what's the purpose of the tea tree oil? And would you reccommend cleaning boar bristle brushes the same way?
ReplyDeleteI use a brush to dry my hair and a comb to straighten it, every day. I find that removing the hair every few days and then using the comb to give the brush a good scrape removes any scurf or dead skin from the brush effectively. It then only needs a wash every so often. The comb is plastic so can be washed under the tap with soap any time. Simple!
ReplyDeleteI use a brush to dry my hair and a comb to straighten it, every day. I find that removing the hair every few days and then using the comb to give the brush a good scrape removes any scurf or dead skin from the brush effectively. It then only needs a wash every so often. The comb is plastic so can be washed under the tap with soap any time. Simple!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I use tweezers to pull the fluff/dirt off each bristle individually as I find that's the only way to get it off my paddle brush.
ReplyDeleteMiss, Miss, mine's clean Miss! I have a big paddle brush at the moment, but when I had a Denman classic type one I used to occasionally take out the rubber cushion bit and the individual rows of plastic bristles and clean them in the sink. Then you'll really be horrified at the grime that can build up!
ReplyDeleteI find the best way to keep on top of it is to bring them into the shower when washing my hair
ReplyDeleteWaa, i'd never even thought of cleaning it! You're officially by thrifty guru. thank you x
ReplyDeleteI admit, I hardly ever clean my hairbrush. Now you've mentioned it though I do have a habit of chucking it in my bag and all over the place, so there's probably so much dirt and bacteria caught up in it *shudder.*
ReplyDeleteOff to clean my hairbrush RIGHT NOW!
Sam x
http://www. griffblog.co.uk
I always mean to do mine! I find dry shampoo is the worst offender for making my brush scummy!
ReplyDeleteI need to do this. Desperately. Have no idea how long it's been since I last washed and cleaned my hairbrushes, in fact my boyfriend tends to do it more often than me when he sees how much hair is in them (: No wonder my hair's always mess!xx
ReplyDeleteI always pull the hair out of my brush after each time I use it. I have a Denman brush that pulls apart so that I can clean it properly. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to go do this now, you don't think about how dirty a hairbrush can be do you?!
ReplyDeleteAimée
xx
http://petticoatsandpansies.blogspot.co.uk/
Eeww hair.
ReplyDelete*vomits in mouth*
I guess this is something you wouldn't really think about, especially for me. My hairs really curly so I never brush it, don't think I own a brush actually xxx
ReplyDeleteI always pull the hairs out, but I never even though of cleaning it. I've just had a pang of horror thinking about how dirty my hairbrush must be. Thanks for the tip! xx
ReplyDeleteAvon used to do a brilliant paddle brush where the base could be lifted off, bringing all the grime and hair with it and making it really easy to clean. I still have one in reserve from when they decided to discontinue but really wish they'd bring them back! I clear out the hair and then chuck my brush in the dishwasher, along with my combs and toothbrush!
ReplyDeleteThis couldn't have come at a better time for me - just this morning a friend asked to borrow my hairbrush and I handed it over with blushed cheeks - it was not a good sight! I am clean with everything but am so lazy with my hairbrushes ... oops! I just followed step 2 on both of my barrel brushes and now they look fab. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteJust cleaned my barrel brushes using step 2 (was about time!) and now they look great, always put it off as i struggled to clean them properly but this worked a treat. Thanks! x
ReplyDeleteOops, double comment - thought the first didn't work so quickly wrote a shorter one. Fail! x
ReplyDeleteI soak mine in vinegar and water. Did this yesterday and the hair products mine had accumulated came out in one giant lump. It was gross >.> Helps break down the hair too to make it easier to get out. I have one particularly stubborn brush that I shall use your method on though as I cannot get it clean for the life of me >.>
ReplyDeleteFab post and couldn't agree more, a dirty hairbrush is a no!! Germs a plenty.
ReplyDeletexx
Guilty as charged! In fact all my hairbrushes are extremely disgusting: the bottoms are no longer black but greyish due to various "dusts"... Yikes!
ReplyDeleteWhen I do clean them, I take two of my brushes and brush them against each other.
Do you have any tips for getting hair off of round brushes? At the moment I use a comb, but I find I still can't get it all off! X
ReplyDeleteThink I'll try this! I pull the hair out of it on a bi-weekly basis, but that's it, I dread to think how grotty it is! x
ReplyDeleteSirens and Bells
By weird coincidence as I read this post, I noticed too my hairbrush sitting mere inches from my hand on my desk/ junk pile/ dressing table, and realise my hairbrush is indeed neglected. Though I de-fuzz it regularly.
ReplyDeleteI promise to clean it. Tomorrow.
I feel so dirty for not having cleaned my brush before! It's just something you don't think of beyond pulling the hairs out! Ahh now I sound like a right dirty so and so! I've just started following your blog and I'm finding some great scrimpy tips on it! xx
ReplyDeleteI use a tangle teaser and water always collects inside it when I wash it and its impossible to get out and makes my hair wet when i brush it! so i alwaysss put off cleaning it, so nasty x
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I've never thought about cleaning it until now - I feel rather grim, and may now make a trip to the bathroom...
ReplyDeleteAnother great idea, I'll give it a try :) x
ReplyDeletethis tips is really useful
ReplyDelete3lin
I de-hair my brush when it needs it, but never clean it. Looking at it in a whole different way now! Ugh. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteI pull the hair out but I don't think I've ever washed it................I think I have some tea tree in the press, I feel a bit sick!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, and an i just add that the housewifery prompts are such a great idea, thank you!! (i am a very bad housekeeper) you should see how gross my boyfriends brush gets, sometimes i clean it but eww it gets so gross at the bottom of each spike and its even worse if i make it wet.... ick
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, and an i just add that the housewifery prompts are such a great idea, thank you!! (i am a very bad housekeeper) you should see how gross my boyfriends brush gets, sometimes i clean it but eww it gets so gross at the bottom of each spike and its even worse if i make it wet.... ick
ReplyDeleteI just wash mine in the shower when I wash my hair. Quick and easy and part of my routine :)
ReplyDeleteI should probably start doing this more often! :) xxx
ReplyDeletehttp://jeminixlife.blogspot.com
Thank you for sharing this idea! :) I love your blog, it's so cute and organised! x
ReplyDeleteSamantha
http://randomandsam.blogspot.com
I have no idea how I missed this post back in August. I pull the hair out of my brush pretty much every time I use it. This comes after spending the rest of my life hardly EVER cleaning my brush. DISGUSTING! It made me gag to clean it - and I swore never to let it get to that stage again :D
ReplyDeleteFor round brushes you have to take the top of and pull the bristles out. Remove hair with pencil, anything long and skinny. Then I soak it while I wash the metal part of the brush. After its soaked a while I give it a good washing with shampoo, let dry. And put back together... Viola! Clean round brush:)
ReplyDelete