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When it comes to hair care, you are up on all the trends and how to's. You know where to spend your money and where to save it. You know how to magically curl your hair with a flat iron and not just a curling iron. And you've even figured out how to master the art of dry shampoo.
But let me ask you this...
When was the last time you cleaned your hairbrush?
*record scratch ...can't remember? It's all good. Let's remedy that!
One of the things that is all too often overlooked is that the tools we use to style our hair are just as responsible for weighing it down as they are for giving it lift. Oil, wax, product build up and residue all make their way on to our brushes and combs every time we use them. So if they aren't cleaned on a regular basis they can become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and yeast.
So how often do you need to clean your tools? Well, that's actually a debatable question.
At the very least they should be cleaned once a month. But if you think of hair brushes in the same way that you would think of makeup brushes... if you only washed those once a month then your face would probably be having its fair share of breakouts and buildup.
I like to say that ever time you brush and style your hair make sure that you remove all of the hair that gets left in the brush. That way it's not as much of a chore when you go to do the deep cleaning.
If it's been a while (ie: if you can't remember ever cleaning your brush except to take the hair out of it) then we are gonna need a deep clean as opposed to just a maintenance wash.
How to Clean Your Hairbrush
Before you start cleaning, use a comb, a rat tail comb or one of these amazing tools to remove the hair on both the brush and the bristles.
Fill a small bowl with hot water and add a tablespoon of shampoo and baking soda. (clarifying shampoo if you have it)
If you have a brush that needs extra attention, then I suggest using Dawn Powerwash spray because of it's amazing degreasing power!
Cover the brushes in the solution and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Use a toothbrush or wand scrub brush to scrub off all remaining build up.
Finish by rinsing and patting dry.
*optional final step : place your brushes in a clean, empty dishwasher and run a quick high heat wash cycle. No powder or dishwasher tab needed. The water at that temp and that pressure will be enough to clean it good as new.
Note : now for maintenance of your brushes
You can run your brushes through a cycle in the dishwasher once a week to twice a month depending on how many brushes you have and how often they get used.
Just make sure to clean all of the hair out of them before placing them in the dishwasher. And check the filter of the dishwasher after the cycle to ensure that no hair has been left behind.
This step by step can be used for combs too.
But let's also talk about the monster in the room that I fear only stylists think about...
If you've come to the point where you can hardly clean your brush and the bristles are glues together and nothing is straight and you'd be embarrassed for any other human to see your brush ... IT'S TIME TO GET A NEW ONE!
I swear, I cannot tell you how many times I have basically strong armed a client into getting a new brush and they come back and tell me how they didn't know what a difference it would make! Or they didn't think that it was that bad unit they got a new brush.
Here are my favorite brushes of all time! I promise... they won't break the bank, but they will blow your mind!
Flat Brush - click here
Round Brush - click here
If you want to see the deep clean in action, you can check out my reel over on my Instagram page.
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