How to clean a hairbrush lint: 8 simple steps
Not many people clean a hairbrush regularly. Even fewer of them know how to do it correctly. A hair brush bristles accumulate a lot of dirt, dust particles, and scalp oils.
If you don’t clean it frequently, the amount of dirt will just build up, which will result in it being transferred to your hair. It will make them look dirty and unhealthy.
A clean hair brush performs way better, brushing the tangled hair. The hairbrush bristles will also last longer if you take care of them.
In this article, we will discuss how to clean hairbrush’s lint, so it looks brand new for longer. We will also tell you what you have to do to prevent the lint from accumulating on your hair brushes. Let’s start.
How to clean a hairbrush lint?
You might be wondering, what is the proper hair brushes cleaning procedure? We have gathered all the essential information together, so you achieve the result you are after. Check out the guide below.
What will you require?
Without the following supplies, it will be difficult to perform the cleaning. Make sure you have found everything from the below list:
- A bit of gentle shampoo
- A clean toothbrush
- A deep bowl
- Warm water
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Some baking soda
- Scissors
- The actual dirty hairbrush
The cleaning process
Once you follow the guide for the first time, the next time the lint cleaning will take less time as you will already know the main points.
1. Find all the necessary supplies
If you don’t prepare everything in the beginning, the cleaning will take longer as you will have to run around looking for the missing things. Make sure everything is placed within the reach of your arm.
2. Remove hair from the hairbrush
You have to get rid of all the hair that is sitting on the brush bristles. Remove the bulk using your hand. There will still be some hair left after that. You can take the pintail comb and lift the leftover hair, so it is easy to remove the rest.
If you face the tangled hair on the brush bristles, scissors will help you get rid of them. Simply cut the hair between the brush’s bristles and take it out.
3. Prepare the cleaning mixture
Pour some warm water into the deep bowl. Or you can use your bathroom sink instead. Add a bit of the gentle shampoo and stir properly. You have to see soapy water before you begin cleaning.
If your hairbrush is filthy, you can add some baking soda to the mixture. It will increase the cleaning effect. You can use a dish soap instead of shampoo. It will not change the result at the end.
4. Let the bristles soak in the prepared mixture
Only the bristles can be immersed in the mixture. If you have plastic hairbrushes or the ones made of synthetic materials, they can withstand soaking, while the wooden handled brushes will get damaged. Hence, we recommend working with natural bristles only and not the wooden handle.
Once you have immersed the brush with bristles facing down in the water, you have to wait for a few minutes. Warm water will ensure all the buildup softens, and it will be easier to get rid of it.
You should be moving the brush in the water from side to side. It helps the dirt to be washed out. If you clean the brush regularly, you won’t need to do anything else.
Soaking in the solution will clean hair brushes successfully. However, if you haven’t cleaned the brush in a while, move on to the next step to ensure all the dirt is removed.
5. Scrubbing with a toothbrush
It is time to use a toothbrush to remove lint. Add a few drops of shampoo or dish soap and gently scrub the hairbrush between the bristles. Ensure you scrub everywhere, and every bristle is free from hair product residue and dead skin cells.
Keep rinsing both brushes in warm soapy water to get the loose dirt off them. When you are happy with the result, move on to the next step.
6. Washing the hairbrush in water
When the hairbrush is clean, you have to rinse it with clean water. You can either do it under the tap or change the water in your bowl. It is important to immerse just the natural bristles and not the handle.
There is another way you can remove lint and excess water from the brush. Take a clean cloth and wet it. Wipe all the remnants off the brush. In the end, you have to shake the brush well to ensure there is no water left on the bristles.
7. Letting your brush dry
It is essential to air dry the hairbrush after cleaning it. Place it on a clean towel, brush’s bristles facing down, and wait for a few hours. This will prevent mold from growing due to the excess moisture staying on your brush. The handle should be at the angle facing upwards. This will not allow water to stay inside the handle.
8. Disinfect the hair brush
This step is not compulsory, but it will help to prevent bacteria from growing and getting onto your hair. You have to prepare the mixture by adding equal parts isopropyl alcohol and water into a spray bottle. Apply a few sprays of the mixture onto the bristles.
Air-dry the brush for a few minutes, and it will be ready to be used again. Brushing your hair with a clean hairbrush will help to keep your hair shiny and healthy.
What can you do to reduce the amount of lint on your hair brushes?
The lint buildup consists of dead skin cells, leftover hair products, hair strands, scalp oil, dust, and other dirt particles. It all clumps together, forming the lint balls.
If you don’t clean your hairbrush frequently, it will be very difficult to remove all of it. Preventing this from happening is the key to clean hair brushes and healthy-looking hair. So, what can you do to stop the lint from appearing?
1. Clean hairbrushes frequently
It all depends on several factors on how often the brush should be washed. If you use a lot of hair care products, your scalp is oily, and you shed a lot, you have to perform a thorough cleaning more often, say every few days.
In other cases, once a week will be sufficient. You start with removing as much hair as you can with your hand first.
The product residue and dandruff can be removed in a mixture of warm water, shampoo, and some baking soda. The stubborn dirty spots must be scrubbed with a clean toothbrush.
If you don’t clean your natural bristle brush, it will have bacteria growing. Every time you are going to use it, you will be transferring them onto your hair. It might result in scalp inflammation and dandruff, and your hair will lose its shiny look.
2. Exfoliating your scalp
This allows you to remove dandruff, hair product buildup, and oil from your head. Otherwise, it all will be on your brush’s bristles. When you are finished washing your hair and your scalp is still wet, lightly scrub it with the appropriate hair product. Use circular motions to ensure the dead skin cells are lifted and removed.
Wait for a few minutes before rinsing your head with warm water. Repeat the process weekly to reduce the amount of lint forming on your round brush.
3. Use a special tool to clean your hairbrush
A hairbrush cleaner is a useful tool that will help you to maintain your hairbrush. The metal bristles of the cleaner catch as much hair as possible along with other remaining lint. Keep stroking your paddle brushes’ bristles until you remove everything. Then you just rinse both brushes in water and air dry them on a clean towel.
4. Choose the hair care products carefully
The last thing you should follow is to select hair products that aren’t heavy and sticky. If they leave gray fuzz on your hairbrush, imagine what happens to your hairs. There are a lot of hair care lines that produce decent products that don’t affect your hair badly.
Try to not use a lot of them, as the hair gels, mousse, and hair sprays attract all the dust, causing the lint on the bristles of your brush.
How often should you clean hair brushes?
It is very easy to make your hair dirty, by just brushing them with a filthy hair brush. So, it is important to clean your hairbrush regularly. How often you have to do it depends on a few moments.
If you use a lot of hair products, have oily scalp skin, or lose a lot of hair every day, you will be required to clean your hairbrushes more frequently.
It is fair to say you have to clean hairbrush every week on average. You can keep this information in mind and perform the cleaning procedure described below when the time comes. Follow the steps above to the dot to ensure the best result.
FAQs
Why is my hairbrush full of lint?
This happens when you use a lot of hair care products, or when you have oily scalp. If you don’t clean the hairbrush in time, it all clumps together along with dust, dirt, and hair strands. Then you have to clean lint out of your hairbrush.
There are ways you can prevent this from happening. Just clean the brush every few days, exfoliate your scalp, and select the hair care product that impacts your hair the least.
It is important to air dry a hairbrush on dryer sheets after every time you clean it. This will prevent mold from growing because of the moisture captured inside.
How often to clean a hairbrush or comb?
Start by removing hairs with the pintail comb. Then you have to clean lint in baking soda, shampoo, and water mixture at least once a week.
That will ensure your hairbrush’s bristles are in good condition, and they won’t transfer dirt onto your hair. When the bristles will lose their shape, it is time to replace your hairbrush.
What causes so much lint?
When you don’t remove hair from your hairbrush with a pintail comb, don’t clean a hairbrush in soapy water, don’t take care of your scalp, and you use too many haircare products, you will have a lot of lint on your brush that will be difficult to get rid of.
Maintaining a clean brush will ensure the bacteria stay away from the bristles and your hairs look beautiful and healthy.
Conclusion
We hope this article was helpful, and now you know the answer to the question of how to remove fuzz in my hairbrush. Following the simple steps described above will help you to always have clean hairbrushes and your hair will always look healthy. The key is to regularly clean brush with a homemade cleaning mixture of shampoo, baking soda, and water.
The most difficult spots can be cleaned with a toothbrush or a cotton swab. Air dry your hairbrush on the dryer sheet for a few hours, and it will be ready for the next time you need it. Share this information with your friends, so they also can have clean hairbrushes and healthy hair.
Read also our guide: How to Remove Human Hair From Clothes In The Dryer?
Hi, I’m Anna Jeffery, an experienced author and cleaning expert. I strive to share my knowledge with everyone by writing useful guides and tips to keep their living and working spaces clean and healthy. I believe everyone deserves to live in a clean and organized environment, and I take pride in knowing that my articles are helping people achieve that goal. Stay tuned for practical and useful cleaning tips!
