How To Clean Hair Brushes In 4 Steps & How Often To Do It

Are you a hairbrush aficionado, or have you used the same bright pink paddle brush since high school? There tends to be two types of people, but still one thing remains the same: Most of us aren’t cleaning our hair brushes enough, if ever. 

Unfortunately, it's not just stray hairs that clog up brushes, but dead skin cells, hair gels, leave-in conditioner, oil from your scalp, fungus, bacteria, dandruff, and more, certified trichologist and founder of alodia Isfahan Chambers-Harris, Ph.D. tells mbg.

When you brush your hair, this plethora of buildup can pass from scalp to brush and back again until you cleanse it. 

You probably haven’t really looked at your hairbrush before, which is fair. But if you shine a flashlight on your tool, you can spot the white and yellow colored particles clogging up your brush. It doesn’t sound pretty, but sometimes it’s the only way to motivate yourself to clean your brush.

Before you ask—yes, this step is essential for your scalp health. “When you don't wash your brush, it can cause an imbalance to the scalp microbiome which can cause scalp conditions such as dandruff and scalp infections that can lead to hair loss,” Chambers-Harris notes. 

First things first, you need to get the hairs out, all of them. You may be able to pull out all the hairs yourself, but you may need help with a thinner tool to help snake out the strands. 

"They make tools to remove hair from brushes that have been around for years. I'd recommend a wire one, they work the best, like this one from Amazon," says Bowman.

Finally, let your brush dry completely before using it. First pat it with a towel to soak up excess water droplets, then let your brush air dry. 

Now let’s get down to details. “If you use your brushes every day, then you should wash them at least once a week,” says Davines Regional Master Trainer and Stylist, Theo Pettway. If you use your brush on occasion, you may only need to wash it monthly. 

The exact cadence will also depend on what concerns you have and what state your hair is in. If you’re prone to dandruff, oily roots, and product buildup, then you should definitely stick with weekly washes at least. 

That being said, a quick daily hair removal can’t hurt. "Hair should be removed from the brush after every use, for easy removal," says Michael Bowman, hairstylist at Rob Peetoom in Brooklyn.

This is pretty simple, and honestly not that big of an ask. Just pull out errant strands after you've run the brush through your hair. This will help keep the tool cleaner, too, so when you do deep clean it, it's not as much of a task. 

Our experts note that you can use soap or shampoo, depending on your preference and brush type. If you opt for shampoo, stick with a sulfate-free option to protect the bristles. 

If your brush is made of metal or plastic, you can soak it in soapy water for 15 minutes, Chambers-Harris says, but skip this step if it’s made of any other material.

After your brush is damp and covered in soap, it’s time to scrub. You can use an old toothbrush or get a formal brush cleaning tool as mentioned above. 

“If the bristles in your brush are warped from prolonged use, or you have missing bristles, then it’s definitely time to change your brush,” says Pettway. If you don’t change your brush, you run the risk of snagging your strands and scratching your scalp.