How to clean your hairbrush

Written by Cindy Bailen, veteran writer on major appliance and home design for 15+ years.

Updated April 16, 2024

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**What You Need:** - Your hairbrush - A rat tail comb - A clean sink or basin - A pair of scissors - Hot water - A toothbrush that you use only for cleaning hairbrushes - Shampoo (We use baby shampoo) - Baking soda - Tea tree oil (Optional) - Dry towels

**Time Needed** 15 minutes **Difficulty** Easy

-- ## Caring for your brush Most people we know spend a lot of time on their hair, washing, conditioning, blow drying, ironing, and curling it, probably on a daily basis. But although their hair is clean, their hairbrush—well, that’s a different story. Think about it. All the product you put in your hair builds up on your brush, along with oil, dirt, dead skin cells, and lint. It’s an open invitation for dust mites, bacteria, and yeast. Brushing your hair with that mess will deposit all the nasty stuff back on your head. When was the last time you washed your hairbrush? If you can’t remember, it’s due for a cleaning. Here's how to do it:

Tools for cleaning a hairbrush — Credit: Reviewed / Mark Brezinski

Step-by-Step (by brush type)

Depending on the type of brush you have, you'll need to clean it differently.

Flat plastic hairbrushes

Use a comb to lift and remove the hair from the brush.
Add a tablespoon of shampoo and a tablespoon of baking soda to the sink or basin, fill it with about a quart of water, and swish it around to build up suds.
Soak the brush for about 15 minutes.
Use the toothbrush to scrub out the dirt at the base of the bristles.
Rinse the brush under clean running water.
Shake out the water and place the brush face down on a towel to dry. You can help this type of brush dry by briefly aiming a stream of hot air at it with your blow dryer on low.

Round plastic hairbrushes

A round hairbrush used for blow drying — Credit: Getty Images / Wicki58

Use a comb to lift the hair.
Snip the hair on each side of the brush with the scissors.
Pull the hair out using the comb and your fingers.
Dissolve a tablespoon of shampoo and a tablespoon of baking soda in a quart of water, and swish it around the sink or basin to create suds.
Soak the brush for about 15 minutes.
Use the toothbrush to scrub out the dirt at the base of the bristles.
Rinse the brush under clean running water.
Shake out the water and place the brush on a towel to dry, turning it a few times while it's drying to expose each side to air.

Wooden and natural bristle brushes

A wooden hairbrush — Credit: Getty Images / chokja

As with any other brush, start by removing hair with a comb.
Make up the solution of water, baking soda, and shampoo in the sink or basin. Alternatively, you can add five or six drops of tea tree oil to water and mix it in.
Do not submerge the brush! Instead, dip it into the water only as far as the base of the bristles and swish it around for a moment.
Remove from the water and scrub out the dirt gently with a toothbrush.
Refill the basin or sink with clean water, quickly dip and swish the brush, but only up to the bottom of the bristles.
Shake out the water and place the brush face down on a towel to dry.

Are there other ways to clean hairbrushes?

Once you've pulled out the hair, Popular Science says that you can wash a plastic hairbrush by placing it on the top rack of your dishwasher and running a regular cycle. Never try this with a wooden hairbrush or one with a fabric pad.

How often should you clean your hairbrush?

Remove hair from the brush every day and do a full cleaning at least once a month, once a week if you can spare the time. Your hairbrush will look better and so will your hair when you stop reapplying the dirt, grime, dandruff (eww), and old product every time you brush.

A flat plastic brush, a wooden brush, and a round brush — Credit: Getty Images / CatherineL-Prod

When should you replace your hairbrush?

We know some people who prefer to throw away a hairbrush rather than clean it. If the handle or base of the bristles is cracked, and bristles are separated, missing, or melted, go ahead and toss it right now. Otherwise, you can replace your hairbrush every six months to a year. And once you get a beautiful new brush, promise yourself that you'll keep it clean.

Your hairbrush is full of bacteria and germs—here's how to clean it