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How Often You Should Clean Your Hairbrush
Reviewed by Zac Kieffer
Updated: September 10, 2025
Learn how often to clean your hairbrush for healthier hair and scalp. Simple tips to keep your brush fresh and effective.
How Often You Should Clean Your Hairbrush
How Often to Clean Your Hairbrush
Frequency: Experts generally recommend cleaning your hairbrush every 1-2 weeks. This interval keeps buildup of hair products, natural oils, and environmental dust at bay.
Why 1-2 Weeks? Over time, hairbrushes accumulate not only loose hair but also residues from products like gels, sprays, and conditioners. These residues can lead to bacterial growth, unpleasant odors, and even transfer to clean hair. By cleaning your brush every 1-2 weeks, you prevent these issues while extending the brush’s lifespan.
Factors to Consider: If you have a particularly oily scalp or use heavy styling products, leaning towards a weekly cleaning might provide better results. Conversely, if your hair is drier or you use fewer styling products, cleaning every two weeks might suffice. The recommended interval is a guideline that can be adjusted based on personal experience and hair type.
Health & Hygiene: Regular cleaning minimizes the risk of transferring bacteria and oils back to your scalp. This not only supports a healthier scalp but also improves the overall performance of your hairbrush by keeping its bristles free from buildup that could tangle or damage your hair.
Expert Tip: Notice any change in brush texture, smell, or visual buildup? These are signs that it might be time to clean it earlier than your usual schedule. Listening to these cues helps tailor your cleaning routine uniquely to your hair’s needs.
Consequences of Skipping Hairbrush Cleaning
Consequences of Skipping Hairbrush Cleaning
Build-up of Hair Products and Oils: Every time you brush, your hairbrush collects residue from styling products, natural scalp oils, and even the dust floating around your bathroom. If you skip cleaning, this gunk piles up, turning your brush into a sticky mess that just redistributes grime back onto your hair.
Unwanted Debris and Lint: Ever notice those fuzzy gray clumps wedged between the bristles? That’s a mix of lint, dead skin cells, and whatever else your hair picks up during the day. If you don’t clean your brush, you’re basically brushing yesterday’s dirt right back in.
Reduced Brush Performance: A clogged brush can’t do its job. Bristles matted with hair and residue lose their grip, making detangling harder and less effective. You’ll spend more time fighting knots and less time actually styling.
Potential for Unpleasant Odors: All that trapped oil and product can start to smell funky over time. If your brush is starting to remind you of a gym bag, it’s definitely overdue for a clean.
Possible Scalp Irritation: Dirty brushes can transfer old residue and debris back onto your scalp, which may lead to itchiness or irritation—especially if you have a sensitive scalp or use a lot of styling products.
Shorter Brush Lifespan: Letting grime build up can wear down the bristles and base of your brush faster. Regular cleaning helps your brush last longer, saving you money and hassle in the long run.
Not-So-Fresh Hair: If you’re wondering why your hair looks dull or feels greasy right after brushing, a dirty brush could be the culprit. Instead of helping you look your best, it’s undoing your hard work.
Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with a cup of warm water. Soak the hairbrush in the solution for 15–20 minutes, then use an old toothbrush to scrub away buildup. Rinse thoroughly and let the brush air dry. This method removes residue and refreshes your hairbrush naturally.
Residue Build-Up Risk
Using baking soda and warm water to clean a hairbrush can leave residue if not rinsed thoroughly, leading to product build-up on the brush and hair. This may cause hair to look dull or feel sticky after brushing.
Vinegar and Water Soak
Mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water in a bowl. Soak the hairbrush in the solution for 15–30 minutes, then use a toothbrush to scrub away buildup. Rinse thoroughly and let air dry. This method removes residue and disinfects naturally.
Bristle Damage Potential
Soaking hairbrushes in vinegar and water can weaken or damage the bristles, especially if they are natural or glued in, leading to shedding, warping, or reduced brush lifespan.
Shampoo and Toothbrush Scrub
Remove hair from the brush. Apply a small amount of shampoo to a wet toothbrush and gently scrub the bristles and base of the hairbrush. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and let air dry. This method removes buildup and keeps your hairbrush clean.
Hidden Germs Persist
Even after scrubbing with shampoo and a toothbrush, hidden germs and buildup can remain deep in the bristles or base of the hairbrush, making this method less effective at fully sanitizing and removing all residue.
Pour rubbing alcohol onto a cotton pad and gently wipe the bristles and base of the hairbrush. The alcohol disinfects and removes buildup, leaving your hairbrush clean and fresh. Allow the brush to air dry before use.
Ineffective Deep Cleaning
Rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad may only remove surface debris from a hairbrush, missing buildup deep between bristles and at the base, leading to ineffective deep cleaning and leaving residue or oils behind.
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