Boar bristle brushes excel in providing gorgeous, sleek hair to curly beauties: They can smooth, clean & volumize hair in mere minutes, but they must be kept in tip-top shape to do so.
Fortunately, a spotless hair brush can improve the bristle’s durability & ensure each hair strand stays clean & healthy.
That said, you’ll want to incorporate regular sanitation into your beauty routine. With a simple 4-step solution, you'll find it easier than ever to prioritize quality hair care, knowing exactly how to clean your boar bristle brush.
How to Clean a Boar Bristle Brush
For you to enjoy the boar bristle brush benefits, you’ll have to keep it clean. There are multiple quick & easy ways to clean a bristle hair brush made with boar bristles. Before we dig in, learning how to clean a bristle brush begins with grabbing a few bathroom supplies to assist in your cleanup:
- Small tub
- Shampoo
- Wide Tooth Comb
- Scissors
- Microfiber Towel
- Toothbrush
Once you've gathered your materials, you can begin removing build-up hair, products & dirt from your bristle brush.
Step 1: Clean
The first step is removing any excess hair, debris, or buildup in the brush. Hair buildup can get tangled in the natural bristles & likely won't come out with a gentle soak. So do your best to work them out on your own with any of the following:
- Your fingers
- A rat-tail comb
- Scissors
- A wide tooth comb
If you find there’s some stubborn residue remaining on your brush, you can always use an old toothbrush to help remove it: Simply wet the brush & scrub between each brush bristle until the residue falls away.
Step 2: Soak
Next, you'll want to fill a tub or sink with warm water & add a few drops of your shampoo to combat the hair oil buildup. Once the bath's complete, you can submerge the bristle brush in the soapy water.
Give it the occasional swirl & let it soak for about 10 minutes.
If your brush has a wooden handle, you shouldn’t completely submerge it (the soapy water can ruin the integrity of the wood). Instead, fill the tub with enough water to douse the natural bristles without letting the wooden handle touch the water.1
Step 3: Rinse
After ten minutes, give the brush a cold-water rinse. A stream of water can help flush out any dirt & debris that came loose during the warm water soak.
Step 4: Dry
Give the hair brush a good shake before patting it with a dry towel. That said, don’t rub the towel too vigorously against the brush, as tiny fibers may become trapped in the bristles.
Instead, simply wipe off any excess water & allow the remainder of the brush to air-dry.
Why Should I Clean My Brush?
Now that you know how to clean bristle hair brushes, you might be surprised to learn that proper brush care goes beyond basic hygiene.
Taking the appropriate measures to clean your bristle brushes provide numerous benefits to your hair & beauty supplies:
- It makes your brush last longer – Dry shampoo, oils & other hair products can easily build up inside your brush. If left for too long, the residue may harden and become difficult to remove, leaving your trusty brush unusable. Fortunately, regular cleaning can return your brush to its original shine.
- It protects hair & scalp health – If you're brushing your hair with a dirty brush, you're reintroducing the same dirt & oil that the brush worked hard to get out back into your hair. Keep your hair & scalp clean with a clean brush & a reliable shampoo like our Curl Cleansing Shampoo to kiss that buildup goodbye.
- It helps distribute oil properly – Boar bristle brushes distribute oil throughout the hair.2 While a dirty boar bristle hair brush may cause more oil buildup, a clean brush can spread the oil evenly for a smooth finish.
Clean your brush & improve your hair type’s quality of life. Your natural curls (& brush) will thank you.
How Often Should I Clean my Boar Bristle Brush?
As a general rule, you should deep clean your boar bristle hair brush once a week.3
That said, do your best to rid your brush of loose hairs every day to prevent tangled bristles down the line.
Give Your Hair a Refresh with Pattern Beauty
Knowing how to clean bristle brushes is just one step to achieving heavenly clean hair. After all, your locks can only shine as bright as the natural hair styling products you use. Ensuring your styling tools remain clean lets your hair breathe, so you can maintain luminous locks.
At PATTERN, we believe in providing clean, quality natural hair products that detangle & refresh your beauty routine.
Shine bright with PATTERN.
Sources:
- "How to Clean Hair Brushes (The Ultimate Guide)." Pro HouseKeepers. 12 September, 2022. https://prohousekeepers.com/blog/how-to-clean-hair-brushes-guide/
- "Hair Brush 101." Broken Arrow Beauty College. 13 November, 2017. https://www.babeautycollege.com/hair-brush-101/
- Higuera, Valencia. "Why You Need to Clean Your Hairbrush and How to Do It." Healthline. 23 September, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-clean-a-hairbrush
