How to Clean a Comb?

Clean your favorite comb in the right way!

Written by Olivia Paxton. Updated on how to clean hair combs

How to Clean a Comb?

If you want to have beautiful and healthy hair, it is necessary to take care of the comb. After combing, pieces of skin, dandruff, sebum, remains of styling agents, etc. remain on the comb. Comb, like many other hygiene items, requires careful care. Over time, it accumulates plaque. Using such a comb is not very pleasant and even harmful.

The comb is recommended to be cleaned at least once every two weeks. If the hair is long, then the plaque and lumps of hair appear much faster. How to clean combs quickly and effortlessly?

We have picked up useful tips on how to clean hair combs at home.

Why Should We Clean Combs?

It is obligatory to cleanse the comb regularly. This procedure will not take long but will help extend the life of the accessory. Professional hairstylists and hairdressers recommend that you renew your hair accessories at least once a year. There are several important reasons for this:

  •       Comb and brush cleaning, even thorough and regular, is not capable of killing all pathogenic microflora;
  •       When using a massage comb, the scalp should be massaged to enhance blood circulation and improve hair growth. In the course of use, the teeth are getting blunt and bent, and the comb fails to cope with the task;
  •       Non-professional combs can be easily damaged.  Various cracks become sources of pathogens, and also hurt the scalp and hair.
  •       Over time, the comb teeth start to electrify the hair.

Cleaning a Comb from Wood

How to Clean a Comb
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The wooden comb must be cleaned carefully, as natural materials are more susceptible to external influences and easily become unusable.

Which comb do you usually use?
Classic comb
86.18%
Massage comb
3.27%
Comb brush
6.91%
Compact comb
3.64%

But when working with wooden accessories, you should know they cannot contact with water for a long time. The wood gets stratified in water and this way you can spoil the comb.

Why Should We Clean Combs
giphy

Cleaning combs should start with the removal of major contaminants: hair and dirt.

Wood is easy to clean with alcohol. You may use any alcohol for this purpose, it can be a cosmetic tonic or vodka. You can replace the alcohol with hydrogen peroxide.

How often do you clean your comb?
Often
20%
Rarely
71.25%
Almost every day
8.75%

Moisten the tampon and wipe each comb tooth with it. Alcohol can easily remove grease and dirt stuck to the comb. After the procedure, let the comb dry properly.

How to Clean a Comb from Plastic?

How to Clean a plastic comb
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Many people want to know how to wash a comb made of plastic because this is the material that manufacturers use most often. Plastic combs are the easiest to clean. Practically any means will be suitable for cleaning such a brush.

First, prepare the comb for cleaning by removing the hairs with a toothpick, scissors, or a sharp nail file. Pour a little shampoo and a tablespoon of ammonia into a container with warm water and leave your plastic comb in this solution for an hour.

During this time, all the grease, dirt, and particles of hairstyling agents remaining on the comb will dissolve, leaving you only to rinse it well. Working with an ammonia solution, do not forget the gloves to protect the skin from the corrosive substance.

Cleaning a Metal Comb

Metal remains a very popular material for combs. Manufacturers apply a special coating to such combs to minimize the damage to hair. Its durability determines the service life of the product. It is advisable not to damage the protective cover when cleaning.

If you use the comb with the metal teeth, it is important to carefully dry the accessory after washing, otherwise, it will be covered with rust. And the cleaning procedures are very simple.

You may use ordinary washing powder. It quickly dissolves the accumulated fat. Apply a small amount of powder to your toothbrush and rub off the dirt, then rinse off and dry the comb.

Or you may dissolve the powder in warm water and dip the accessory there. Wait an hour, rinse and dry the comb.

How to clean a Metal Comb
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How to Clean a Hairbrush?

This instrument is more difficult to handle than its more traditional counterparts. In this case, the ideal choice is a toothbrush. Besides, a mascara brush can be also an option.

A toothbrush or mascara brush must be thoroughly washed in warm water before you use it as a hair comb cleaner. With the help of this tool, it is possible to get rid of all the hairs that remained in the comb, as well as grease and other contaminants. The removal of dust particles is facilitated by the soft bristles, which are also good for cleaning the massage comb.

how to clean a hairbrush
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Cleaning and disinfection

hair comb cleaner
everydayhealth

A lot of household means can help clean a comb include the following:

  •       Dishwashing liquid. You should dissolve it in water and put the comb in it for ten minutes. Then rinse it properly and let it dry.
  •       Shampoo and ammonia. Take a liter of water, add 1 tablespoon of ammonia and 2 tablespoons of shampoo. Stir everything thoroughly until foamed. Then dip the brush and comb for half an hour.
  •       Baking soda is a good hair comb cleaner.  Add some water to baking soda to obtain the consistency of the mush. It should be applied to the comb and wiped with an old toothbrush. If the dirt remains, the procedure should be repeated.
  •       Any antiseptic. Disinfection can be carried out with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. You can also use cologne or toilet water.

How to Keep Our Makeup Brushes Clean

How to Keep Our Makeup Brushes Clean
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Everyone knows that cleaning hairbrushes and combs regularly will prevent them from becoming linty. But what about the brushes we girls use for makeup? 

Do they have to be cleansed?

The answer is of course they have! These tools get in contact both with different cosmetics products (e.g. powder, eye shadows, etc.) and our face’s skin which means that natural skin oils tend to sit on those brushes, too.

Is it possible to free them from dirt yourself like a pro? Definitely! And here’s the top method of how you do it.

  1. Take a cup/glass and fill it with warm water. Note that it must not be hot to not damage the bristles! Squeeze in a dollop of any gentle shampoo
  2. Place the instruments into it. Swirl the makeup brushes in this mixture and softly rub the bristles to take away the dust
  3. Rinse and delete the excess liquid
  4. Lay them flat to dry

Instead of a shampoo, don’t hesitate to work with the simple Dawn soap since the procedure is completely the same, and your makeup tools will be 100% clean, too!

By the way, to prevent your tools clean longer, follow several simple tips:

  • Cleanse the hair care instruments weekly since the rests of the makeup products remain on the bristles after each use
  • Wash the tools every month
  • Keep an eye on your brushes to know when it’s time to throw them away

Hairbrushes And Combs Maintenance Tips Every Girl Would Like to Know

Hairbrushes And Combs Maintenance Tips Every Girl Would Like to Know
Photo by ANDI WHISKEY on Unsplash

To make our hair care tools such as combs and brushes work longer, we recommend everyone to follow very simple but extremely effective instructions. You will see that your tools will become free from dust and other debris much faster and remain clean much longer!

  1. Never wash your brushes in hot water. It can ruin the gentle bristles and the item will become useless
  2. Don’t use aggressive cleaning products. Choose mild soap or shampoo instead. You can find those in any shop actually!
  3. When you shop for brushes/combs, pay attention that they must be properly and tightly covered with the package. Avoid buying tools that are sold uncovered since it’s the easiest way to contaminate them!
  4. Wash your hairbrushes every month or more often if they need that
  5. For storing your brushes, find a place with the normal humidity level
  6. Change your brushes and combs every two or three years
  7. Go to the shop and buy a special hanging brush organizer with deep pockets. Like this, all of them will be kept upright and safely hidden from dust
  8. Keep the brushes and combs with the bristles part up

These simple tips will allow you to keep the brushes free from lint and other unpleasant debris longer so that you won’t have to shop for them too soon!

Tips to Keep a Comb Clean

how clean a comb
medaboutme

A good hairbrush is a guarantee of hair health. It is not less important than a shampoo or conditioner. In this case, the term “good” means not only the quality but also the condition of the accessory. Some useful tips will help you keep the comb clean:

  •       Get in the habit of daily hair removal and weekly cleaning.
  •       A comb for daily care should be changed every 3-4 months.
  •       Do not use a comb with fallen or broken teeth as it will destruct the hair structure.
  •       Periodically disinfect the accessory. You can use chemicals, alcohol or men’s cologne for this.
  •       Try to have your own comb, it is first and foremost a personal hygiene item.
  •       If you carry a comb in your bag, then keep it in a cover.
  •       After combing wet hair, always let the comb dry well.
  •       If you want to give your comb a light pleasant aroma, add a few drops of the essential oil to any cleaning solution. The best choice will be orange, lemon, or rose oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

After using a comb for a while, you may notice that its bristles have become dull and somewhat dusty. How to clean the comb and return it to the original look?

Check out these and other questions and answers below!

There are several questions regarding this issue that are being asked most frequently.

How to clean hair brushes with vinegar?

How to clean hair brushes with vinegar
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To clean and disinfect your hairbrush, apply some vinegar. Take a bowl of water big enough for your brush to be placed inside. Mix a cup of warm water with one cup of vinegar and stir properly, then submerge your brush into this cleaning agent.

Let the brush float there for twenty minutes approximately. Like that, vinegar will delete any dirt, dust or even germs from your comb.

After you take your comb out, rinse it thoroughly and dry with a towel.

Clean your hairbrushes with vinegar whenever you need to meticulously clear them from any external impact.

How to clean a hairbrush lint?

Lint is another problem that the owners of brushes have. It appears because the hair we leave on the brush works like a magnet for the tiny particles of dust from outside.

To get rid of it, take several easy steps.

Remove all the hair from your comb.

How to clean a hairbrush lint
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Wash it under the running warm water or use a bowl for this purpose. Apply any mild washing liquid like baby shampoo or an ordinary shampoo on your comb and, using a toothbrush, scrub it thoroughly. 

Water and shampoo will soften the fuzz in the hairbrush and it will be partly removed itself and partly with your fingers and the toothbrush.

If your brush is made of plastic, soak it into clean water to rinse. Otherwise, if it’s wooden, rinse it carefully under running water instead.

This is the fastest and effective way of how to clean the lint off your hair brush.

How to clean a hairbrush with a dryer sheet?

You can basically use different washing agents to deal with dirt within your comb bristles. 

As an option, try some dryer sheet if you have a really difficult case of comb pollution.

To do that, take a bowl of warm water, add two dryer sheets in it and put your comb (or brush, or all the combs you have) into this mixture.

clean your wooden comb

Let everything soak for a couple of hours.

Then rinse meticulously and dry with a towel or cloth. Then you can leave your combs to air dry.

Done! 

What is the best way of homemade cleaning for my comb?

If you realized that your combs and brushes must finally take a bath, there is a fast and easy solution for this task.

Fill you bathroom sink with warm water (a quarter of the sink is enough). Add a quarter cup of Borax and stir thoroughly until it is dissolved. 

Add a bit of a dishwashing agent to make the mixture foamy and stop the water when the sink is three-quarters full.

Remove the hair from the brushes and combs and immerse them all into the soapy and foamy treatment solution for half an hour or so.

When you take them out, rinse your brushes carefully and dry.

Written by
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Olivia shares all she knows about the hotels, houses, and home cleaning with Beezzly readers. And she knows a lot! 15 years of work experience as a Manager in a former Four Season Service gave Olivia an exceptional base of professional knowledge and practical experience.
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