How to Clean a Round Hair Brush

Co-authored by Kana Ishii

Last Updated: August 14, 2024 References

Round hairbrushes are great for drying your hair and removing tangles, but can often become filled with matted hair and get a little dirty. To remove the hair, simply pull it away from the brush with a comb, cut it free, and then pull it out. If you want to sanitise your brush and remove smells or dirt, use a baking soda solution. If your brush is wooden, opt for a tea tree solution instead. Before you know it, your brush will look brand new!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing the Hair

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1
Lift the hair away from the brush with a rat tail comb. Over time, hair tends to get wrapped around the barrel of the brush. Slide the point of a rat tail comb between the barrel and the matted hair. Try to push the comb under all of the hair that covers the length of the barrel and then gently lift the comb upward to loosen the hair. ^{[1]
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- If you don’t have a rat tail comb, use a pen instead.
2
Cut the lifted hair with a pair of scissors. This breaks up the matted hair and makes it easier to pull away from the hairbrush. Use scissors to cut the hair in a straight line from the bottom of the barrel to the top. ^{[2]
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- If the bristles on your brush are close together, use a narrow pair of scissors, such as nail scissors.
- Take care not to cut any of the bristles.
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3
Rotate the brush 180° and repeat the lifting and cutting process. This makes it easier to pull the hair off the brush and reduces the strain on the bristles, especially if they have little rubber balls on the end. Turn the brush over, pull the hair away from the brush again with a rat tail comb, and then cut it with scissors. ^{[3]
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- If you don’t have much hair on your brush, you can skip this step.
4
Pull the hair off the brush. Gently tug the strands of hair away from the bristle. Try not to pull on the bristles, as this can misshape them and damage their ends. Keep pulling the strands until the brush is completely clean. ^{[4]
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- Throw the old hair into the trash, as it can block your pipes if it goes down the sink.