It is recommended by professional stylists/cosmetologist to clean brushes out weekly, but if that seems too much for you, even once a month would be better than nothing. Here I share with you how to clean a plastic or metal paddle and round brush.

So, below is what you need:

A pen, pick or edge of a rat tail comb,

a pair of scissors, a garbage bag, a cleaning toothrbush, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a teaspoon of shampoo or vegetable soap. You may need another thing or two but we’ll cover that below.

1. Once you’ve loosened hair, take the scissors and snip down the centre.  This is going to make pulling the hair out a lot easier.  Now, grab the clumps of hair and start tossing them away!  However, you can skip the snipping if you have the patience to pull it all out.  Dispose of the hair ball! And quick reminder, the hair should go in the garbage and not down the sink.  Unless you have a crush on your plumber.  In that case, clog your sink with hairballs.

*Now for a round brush,  do this on one half of the brush, then rotate it 180 degrees and repeat the technique on the other side.  I couldn’t get a few trapped hairs out of the edge of my round brush.  I decided to let it go, I can live with the 6 trapped hairs.

Create a cleansing solution using a cup of water, 1 teaspoon shampoo and 1 teaspoon baking soda.  Swish this together and apply to the bristles and bristle base (or pad), brushing gently but thoroughly. Make sure to clean the outer edge of the brush as well as each bristle, starting at the bottom and brushing in an upward motion.  I got a few extra hairs out with the toothbrush.

Finally, give your brush a quick rinse lay flat, bristles down, to dry.  This is fine for plastic and metal paddle brushes, round brushes and combs.