Clean your hairbrush and comb

Remove caught hair and product residue from your brush or comb. The cleaning method depends on the tool: some can be washed, while others need wiping.

Hands-on time (estimate): 2–8 min
Waiting time: Let cleaned areas air-dry completely before storage.

When to use it

Brush and comb cleaning removes shed hair, oil and styling residue from the teeth or bristles. The tool’s care instructions determine whether to wash it or wipe it.

When hair or residue has collected, or the tool’s care instructions call for cleaning. Choose the washable or wipe-only path before you start.

Non-electric brushes and combs with known care instructions and no broken or snagging parts.
A washable tool whose directions permit gentle soapy cleaning and rinsing, or a tool whose directions call for wiping only.

Before you start

Read the exact tool’s care instructions first. Wood, natural bristles, cushions, glued parts and hollow bodies can need different handling; plastic appearance alone does not prove washability.
Do not soak or submerge a brush as part of this method. Keep water away from any part the maker says must remain dry.
Do not use this guide for powered brushes, heated tools, chemical disinfection or a tool with unknown cleaning directions.
Avoid sharp picking, force and heat drying. Put aside tools with cracked teeth, loose parts or edges that catch hair; follow their maker’s repair or replacement advice.

What you’ll need

A clean cloth for permitted wiping
A clean towel for steadying and drying the tool
One of: Your non-electric hairbrush and its care instructions or Your hair comb and its care instructions

Make it work for you

Check the situations below before you begin, then follow the steps with those adjustments in mind.

Wood, cushions or natural bristles

Use the exact care method

Some makers permit cleaning bristle tips while keeping the body dry; others require wiping. Do not transfer a washable-plastic method to these tools.

Narrow spaces between teeth

Work gently one gap at a time

Use a soft cleaning brush or cloth edge if the maker allows it. Stop if a tooth bends or debris will not lift without force.

If holding the tool is awkward

Rest it on the counter

Use a dry towel to steady the handle. Turn the tool between small areas instead of gripping harder or forcing your wrist.

Step by step

STEP 1 OF 5
Lift out the caught hair
- Read your tool’s care instructions. For washing, set out a bowl, water, the allowed cleanser and a soft cleaning brush.
- For wiping, set out a clean cloth. Both paths need a clean towel and stable counter.
- Hold the handle and lift caught hair away with your other hand. Ease out small amounts without cutting, prying or pulling hard.
Washable tool: follow Steps 2 and 3, then Step 5. Wipe-only tool: skip to Step 4, then Step 5; you need a clean cloth, not a bowl of soapy water.
STEP 2 OF 5
For a washable tool: loosen the residue
- Prepare the cleanser and water specified for your tool in a bowl. Dip a soft cleaning brush into the mixture.
- Hold the hairbrush or comb outside the bowl. Gently brush between its teeth or bristles and around their bases. Keep protected parts dry.
Use this path only when your tool’s instructions allow this cleaning method and a rinse. A plastic-looking body alone does not tell you whether it can be washed.
STEP 3 OF 5
Rinse the washable tool
- Set the cleaning brush down. Rinse the cleaned areas using the water temperature and method your tool’s instructions allow.
- Turn the tool so water reaches between its teeth. Stop when the cleanser and visible suds are gone, then turn off the tap.
The photo shows a washable plastic brush under running water. Keep any parts that must stay dry out of the stream. Continue at Step 5.
STEP 4 OF 5
For a wipe-only tool: clean with a cloth
- Hold the comb or brush with one hand. Wipe each tooth or bristle with a clean cloth, using a dry cloth unless its instructions allow damp wiping.
- Use a clean part of the cloth as residue lifts. A soft cleaning brush can reach narrow gaps if its instructions allow it. Do not add a rinse.
This is the alternative to Steps 2 and 3, not an extra step after washing.
STEP 5 OF 5
Let the tool dry before storing it
- Place the cleaned tool on a clean towel in the drying position its instructions specify. Let it air-dry fully, away from a heater or direct sun.
- Check for remaining hair, residue and damaged teeth. Put aside a tool that snags or has loose parts. Clean your cloth or cleaning brush, and store the hair tool once dry.
The pictured plastic brush dries teeth-up. Other brushes may need bristles down; follow their care directions.