How to Clean Hair Brushes (The Ultimate Guide)

To clean a hairbrush, first pull out the trapped hair with a pintail comb, tweezers, or your fingers, then wash it: swish a plastic brush in warm water with a little shampoo or dish soap, scrub between the bristles with an old toothbrush, rinse well, and air dry bristles-down on a towel. Clean your brush about every two weeks, and adjust the method for the brush type — natural-bristle and wooden-handled brushes should never be soaked. Here’s how to do it for every kind of brush.

How often should you clean your hairbrush?

Cleaning your brush roughly every two weeks is a good baseline, though it depends on how much you shed and how much product you use. A few quick facts on why it’s worth the habit:

• The global hairbrush market was valued at about $3.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach roughly $4.7 billion by 2032 (per one industry estimate) — a lot of brushes that all need cleaning.
• Some experts suggest replacing your hairbrush about every six to twelve months.
• A neglected hairbrush can harbor a surprising amount of bacteria, plus fungi and mold — reason enough to keep it clean.

As a rule of thumb, when your brush starts to look gunky or fuzzy, it’s time to clean it.

What you’ll need

• An old toothbrush
• A large bowl or sink
• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Disinfecting spray
• A towel
• Liquid soap or shampoo (a sulfate-free option for delicate bristles)
• A pintail comb
• Tweezers

How to clean plastic hairbrushes

These steps work for all plastic brushes, including paddle and cushioned styles.

Step 1: Remove the hair. Use a pintail comb, tweezers, or your fingers to pull out built-up hair — the more you remove, the easier the rest is. (Make a habit of clearing loose hair after each use.)

Step 2: Wash the brush. Fill a bowl or sink with warm water and a squirt of shampoo or dish soap, and swish the brush through it. Let it soak briefly to loosen grime. (If your sink gets dirty in the process, here’s how to clean a sink.)

Step 3: Scrub. Use the toothbrush to scrub between the bristle rows and around the base. For stuck-on product, dip the toothbrush in baking soda — it acts as a gentle abrasive.

Step 4: Rinse and air dry. Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water so no soap or baking soda remains (whatever’s left ends up in your hair). Squeeze out a cushioned brush so water doesn’t sit and breed bacteria, then shake it off and lay it bristles-down on a towel to dry.

Using vinegar: you can also soak a plastic brush in a warm water-and-vinegar solution for 30 minutes, scrub the base with a toothbrush, rinse, and air dry. If you want to use baking soda too, use them in sequence — soak in the vinegar solution first, then scrub with baking soda separately. Don’t mix the two into one paste, since together they just fizz and neutralize into mostly water, losing the benefit of each.

How to clean natural-bristle brushes

Natural-bristle brushes cost more and are gentler on hair, so treat them carefully.

Step 1: Remove the hair with tweezers, a pintail comb, or your fingers.

Step 2: Soak only the bristles. Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a teaspoon of gentle, sulfate-free shampoo. Dip the brush so only the bristles are submerged — not the padded base or handle — and let them soak about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Scrub between the bristles with your fingers or a toothbrush, working down to the base.

Step 4: Rinse and dry. Rinse the bristles under lukewarm water until clean, then lay the brush bristles-down on a towel.

Note on wooden-handled brushes: don’t soak wooden brushes — water deteriorates the handle and loosens the bristles. Instead, dip a toothbrush in soapy water and gently scrub the base, wipe with a towel, and always air dry (never with heat).

Other ways to clean a hairbrush

With a dryer sheet: add warm water and two dryer sheets to a bowl, soak the brushes for an hour or two, then rinse and pat dry before air drying.

With dandruff flakes: dandruff isn’t contagious and is easily managed with the right shampoo, but the flakes make a brush look dirty. Wash the brush more often (using the method for your brush type) so it doesn’t redeposit flakes in your hair.

Removing lint: if lint and dust cling to the base after you’ve removed the hair, scrub it out with a toothbrush, working through the bristle rows in both directions, then rinse and air dry.

After lice: pull out all the hair, then soak the brush in a medicated (anti-lice) shampoo or in vinegar, which can help kill lice, then rinse and dry. (For valuable wooden brushes, replacing them is often safer than soaking.)

Why is there fuzz in my hairbrush?

That grayish fuzz isn’t lint — it’s a buildup of sebum (scalp oil), dead skin cells, dried-on hair product, and broken-off hair that mats together with repeated use. It’s exactly why regular cleaning matters.

How do salons clean hairbrushes?

Salons typically soak combs and brushes in Barbicide — the blue disinfectant solution you’ve probably seen on the counter — then wash them with soap and water, rinse, and dry. It’s an effective approach for high-use tools, though for home use the simple soap-and-water method above is plenty.

Final thoughts

A clean hairbrush keeps your hair looking its best and lasts longer. Match the method to your brush — wash and scrub plastic, gently soak only the bristles of natural brushes, and never soak wooden handles — and a quick clean every couple of weeks will take your brush from gunky back to good as new.

FAQ

What causes the white “lint” on my hairbrush?
It isn’t lint at all — it’s a mix of dead skin cells, dust, scalp oil, and dried hair products transferred from your hair to the brush. It’s a big part of why regular cleaning matters.

Is it okay to soak my hairbrush in vinegar?
It depends on the brush. Plastic brushes can be soaked in a vinegar solution safely, but never soak a wooden brush — vinegar’s acidity can ruin the finish and deteriorate the wood.

Can a dirty hairbrush affect my hair and scalp?
Yes. Dirt, oil, and old product build up on the brush, and using it just redistributes all of that back through your hair — so a clean brush genuinely helps.