How to properly clean your hairbrush

Regularly cleaning your hairbrush is essential for keeping your hair healthy and ensuring that the brush remains effective for a long time. Read our hairbrush expert’s guide on caring for your boar bristle and nylon fiber hairbrushes.

Contents:

Why is it important to clean your hairbrush?
How do you clean boar bristle or nylon hairbrushes?
Which tools and products should you use?
How to care for your brush and keep it performing well over time

Why is it important to clean your hairbrush?

Hair, dust, dead skin cells, sebum, styling product residue… all this residue builds up on your hairbrush over time. What is less visible is what happens with each brush stroke: a dirty brush can redeposit these residues back onto clean hair, weigh down the hair fiber, and leave the scalp more prone to buildup. Besides the obvious hygiene factor, this can affect the beauty and health of your hair and scalp, while also reducing the effectiveness of the brush.

With boar bristle brushes in particular, product buildup is especially problematic: the natural keratin in the bristles—which allows them to capture and redistribute sebum—gradually loses its ability to perform this essential care function. A bristle clogged with residue can no longer nourish, smooth, or deliver the expected shine.

The verdict is clear: if you want your brush to stay in good condition for a long time, you should clean it regularly. And this rule applies to all types of brushes, whether you’re#Teamboarbristle or#Teamnylonfiber.

How should you clean a boar bristle or nylon hairbrush?

At Altesse Studio, we recommend that you clean your brush after every use, just as professional hairdressers do between clients. This simply means removing the hair trapped in the boar bristles or nylon fibers of the hairbrush with a comb, another brush, or your hands after use.

Experts also recommend giving your hairbrush a thorough cleaning once a week. This simple 4-step cleaning routine takes just a minute:

- Step 1: Fill a basin or sink with warm water, add a small amount of shampoo, and swirl the solution to create foam.
- Step 2: soak the bristles of the brush in the soapy solution, moving them in a figure-8 pattern to ensure they are completely saturated (repeat this motion 4 times for best results).
- Step 3: Rinse the nylon fibers or boar bristles under running water, then wrap a towel around them, applying light pressure to squeeze out any excess water.
- Step 4 (for boar bristle brushes): Let your brush dry on a flat surface, bristle-side down, away from any heat source.
- Step 4 (for nylon fiber brushes): let your brush dry bristle-side down, making sure the nylon fibers don’t touch any surface, as the weight of the brush can cause them to twist out of shape. Our tip to prevent this: place a rolled-up towel under the brush handle to keep the brush head raised while drying.

What tools and products should you use to properly clean your hairbrush?

For daily cleaning, it is best to use a specially designed accessory. Altesse Studio designed a cleaning brush specifically designed for this purpose: its firm bristles glide easily through boar bristles or nylon fibers without damaging them, removing hair and residue in just a few seconds after each use. A simple, quick step that helps maintain your brush over time.

Use the Altesse Studio cleaning brushStudio remove hair after each use to maintain the brush’s hygiene and longevity

For a more thorough weekly cleaning, use a mild shampoo diluted in warm water. Avoid harsh or alcohol-based products, as they can damage boar bristles and cause them to wear out more quickly.

Taking proper care of your brush helps maintain its performance over time

Your hairbrush is much more than just an ordinary accessory: think of it as an essential part of your hair care routine that keeps your hair looking healthy and beautiful! Properly cleaning and maintaining your hairbrush is essential so it can detangle, condition, and work its magic on your hair.

At Altesse Studio, each brush is designed to last well beyond everyday use. Made in France, drawing on expertise passed down since 1875, they are created to be passed down through generations and repaired for life. Regular care is the key to ensuring this investment lives up to its promise over time. Take care of your brush just as it takes care of your hair—with consistency and the right steps. To learn more about the materials behind your brush and what makes it so durable, explore our commitment to sustainable materials.

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