Once you find the right paddle brush for your hair, life goes on easy mode. But while your paddle brush keeps your tresses shiny and glam, it’s slowly accumulating dirt, skin cells, and other buildup.
Learning how to clean a paddle hair brush is essential to keeping your brush hygienic. However, there’s more to cleaning a paddle brush than just soap and water. Depending on the type of bristles and handle your trusty tool has, you’ll have to adjust your approach.
We’ll teach you how to clean a paddle brush in this guide. Of course, even the best cleaning routines can’t make a brush last forever. We’ll show you how to determine if you need a fresh brush.
If you need a replacement or just an upgrade for your paddle brush, check out our inventory here at My Haircare & Beauty! Aussies have been trusting us for all things beauty for nearly two decades.
With speedy shipping and a knowledgeable team, we’ll help you upgrade your hair routine so you can make your tresses Instagram-famous.
Why Regularly Cleaning a Paddle Brush is Necessary
Using your paddle brush every time you go through your hair routine makes it natural to get in a comfort zone. Cleaning a paddle brush is the last thing on your mind while quickly detangling and sprucing up your tresses.
But to keep getting those fantastic results, you must learn how to clean a paddle hair brush.
Prevents Product Buildup on Hair
Mousse, gels, creams, hairspray…all the products you use on your hair can quickly accumulate.
Typically, these products get cleared out on your wash days. This lets your natural scalp oils repopulate without getting smothered.
However, if you haven’t learned how to clean a paddle brush, you’re leaving product buildup on your styling tool. Each time you brush your hair to let your product set in, some of that residue will end up on your brush.
Over time, not cleaning a paddle brush regularly leads to sticky buildup and dirty brush bristles. That means that when you go to tame your strands, you’re piling on a layer of old gunk, turning them from fab to drab.
Promotes Scalp Health
Scalp health is a delicate balance. Even a tiny amount of unsavoury residue, such as products, dead skin cells, and oils, can clog and damage hair follicles.
If you don’t learn how to clean a paddle brush properly, that’s asking for issues with dandruff, scalp flakes, and thinning hair. But with regular upkeep, you’ll keep your scalp happy and healthy, letting your tresses bounce freely.
Minimise Bacteria and Dust Accumulation
Although bacteria cannot be seen, it threatens the health of your hair. If you aren’t regularly cleaning a paddle brush, you create a hotspot for microscopic organisms and dust particles.
Dust and bacteria can irritate scalps, cause infections, and cause brittle strands—the exact opposite of what you want to achieve when brushing your hair daily.
Learning how to clean a paddle brush will keep those miniature invaders away from your healthy strands.
Prolong the Life of Your Brush
Once you find a high-quality paddle brush, you never want it to break or disappear.
But damage is inevitable if you don’t learn how to clean a paddle brush. No matter the quality of the brush, dirt, dust, and product buildup will slowly erode the bristles and handle.
Your trusted tool will soon start to wither. This will affect the results of your hair routine and frustrate your efforts to achieve glam styles.
Cleaning a paddle brush consistently will buy you more time before you need a replacement.
How to Clean a Paddle Brush: Tips on Removing Buildup for Easier, More Hygenic Brushings
We’ve stressed the importance of learning how to clean a paddle brush. But before washing your reliable tool, you should determine the ideal cleaning method.
Cleaning a paddle brush is a simple process with a few bits of nuance depending on the materials of your tool, so let’s break it down for you.
Step 1: Remove Loose Hair
The first step in cleaning a paddle brush is one you may already do out of habit. Removing loose hair strands sets the stage for the remainder of the cleaning process.
You can remove most strands with a wide-toothed comb or a small vacuum. If any holdouts are snagged or knotted, you may need scissors.
Be careful not to damage the bristles, which are the key to achieving those amazing results.
Step 2: Soak and Loosen Dirt
After you remove the hair strands from your brush, it’s time to use water. Fill a bowl or sink with warm water and add a bit of shampoo or soap to the mix.
Submerge your brush in the water, bristle-first. Let the tool soak for about 15 minutes, allowing the dirt and products to float away.
If your brush has a wooden handle, keep it out of the water to prevent damage.
Step 3: Scrub Bristles Gently
Now for the fun part: you’ll scrub away residue from the bristles on your paddle brush! Get an old toothbrush, chopstick, or tiny sponge. Dip it in the soapy water, then gently scrub between each bristle.
Use small circular motions as if you were giving the bristles a massage. Pay extra attention to the base of the bristle, as more gunk tends to accumulate there.
Step 4: Rinse and Dry
You’re almost done cleaning. To finish, rinse the brush under running water. Use warm water and tilt the brush to let gravity help you out.
Keep the water flowing until it looks clear. Then, shake off the excess water and place your brush on a clean towel with the bristles facing down.
The brush will continue to drip water from the base as it air dries, so just wait!
Cleaning Different Brush Materials
The previous steps cover the basics of how to clean a paddle hair brush, but the steps can change a bit based on the materials of your tool. There are significant differences in how you clean nylon vs boar bristle brushes, for example.
Here’s a look at the materials you’re most likely to find:
- Plastic: Plastic brushes can withstand all the steps above.
- Wood: Avoid soaking your wooden brushes, which may cause warping or damage. You’ll want to use a damp cloth or sponge instead to clean.
- Bamboo: Follow the same tricks as a wood brush. Thankfully, bamboo is naturally antimicrobial, so that you can clean it less frequently than other materials!
- Natural(Boar): You must be gentle on natural bristles, including those with boar fur. Choose a gentle shampoo or specialised brush cleaner. Use cool water, and ensure all soap is removed before drying.
- Nylon: Like plastic, nylon brushes can handle the complete regimen described in this section.
More Tips on Caring For Your Paddle Brush
No matter which of the many types of hair brushes you have, extra TLC will always be beneficial.
Remove any loose hair after each use. That small effort will make your deep cleaning session easy.
You can mist your brush with an alcohol-cleansing spray to sanitise it.
Try rotating how often you use your paddle brushes. This will help prevent buildup on a single brush and give you more styling options.
Signs Your Paddle Hair Brush is Past its Prime
You can learn all the ins and outs of how to clean a paddle brush and follow these steps to a tee.
However, eventually, your brush will start to deteriorate. Knowing when to let go of a brush on its last legs will help keep your hair and scalp happy and healthy.
Frayed Bristles
The bristles on your paddle brush are the secret sauce that makes your hair bouncy and shiny. You might need a replacement if any of the bristles are frayed, bent, or outright missing (we’ve been there before).
Without quality bristles, you won’t be able to detangle your hair or distribute the product correctly. It will lead to uneven results and plenty of frustration.
Loose or Damaged Base
Your brush bristles lie on a stable base, helping it glide through your strands.
If that base is cracked, decaying, or wobbly, your brush may be in its final hours. Trying to brush your hair with a damaged base will only lead to an annoyed mood.
The problem compounds if the base is warped or harbouring trapped bacteria. At that point, you’re just infusing your hair and scalp with an untold amount of germs.
When to Replace Your Brush
So when should you replace your brush entirely?
First, consider how often you use it. If it only sees use a few times a month, you can keep it longer than a daily driver.
You should also consider the thickness of your hair–if your brush handles double or triple the number of strands, it will wear out much quicker.
If you’ve been cleaning your brush and following these tips well, you may be able to go a year or longer without replacement. But once you see broken bristles and a wobbly base, it’s time to start shopping again.
What to Look for in a New Brush
The best brush for you will depend on several factors:
- Bristle Materials: You must select your bristles based on your hair type. Natural bristles are better on fine or normal hair, while synthetics are preferred for coarse textures.
- Handle Materials: Wood or Bamboo handles are durable, while Plastic bases are water-resistant and lightweight. You can choose based on your preference.
- Ergonomic Designs: A cushioned grip handle will make brushing easier on your wrists and comfortable on your scalp.
- Size: There are plenty of hair brush sizes to choose from. Larger paddle brushes can cover thicker and larger areas of hair, while smaller brushes are better for focused detangling.
- Quality: A great brush will last far longer than a cheap one. Choose a brush from a reputable brand, and you won’t have to worry about cleaning it as often.
- Eco-Friendly: Sustainable materials like bamboo are an excellent option if environmental consciousness is important to you.
- Detangling/Denman Brushes: If you have thick or quickly tangled hair, you’ll want a paddle brush capable of handling the job. Denman brushes are the most common, and we have an entire article exploring which brush you should use. However, other detangling brush brands will also suffice.
Finding the perfect brush requires a lot of consideration. Why not make the decision simple? Let our team at My Haircare & Beauty choose for you.
Find Your New Favourite Hair Brush at My Haircare & Beauty!
Beauty lovers and professionals across Australia know that if you need a quality hair brush, there’s a veritable treasure trove here at My Haircare & Beauty.
Since 2008, we’ve helped Aussies stay beautiful. We carry a suite of professional-brand products and combine them with our team’s wealth of knowledge.
We’ll help you find the perfect paddle brush for your hair type and needs. We carry plenty of other styling tools if another type is more your speed.
Paddle brushes, blow dry brushes, hair straightener brushes, hot round brushes, and hot air brushes are just the tip of the iceberg.
The best part is that you can let our team find the perfect tool for you–just have a chat with us, and we’ll take care of the rest.
You’ll find over 200 brands in our online store, including:
You’ll even get free shipping on orders over $50 and same-day arrivals across the Melbourne metro.
Final Words on How to Clean a Paddle Hair Brush
Cleaning a paddle brush is something you don’t want to omit from your to-do list. Without a proper cleaning routine, you’ll expose your scalp and hair to dust, dirt, and bacteria that can harm your hair’s health.
Thankfully, restoring your brush is simple as long as it isn’t too damaged.
But if your trusted brush eventually loses bristles or you want to add another one to your rotation to delay cleaning, My Haircare & Beauty has you covered.
With over 200 products, a friendly team, and lightning-fast shipping, we have everything you need to restore your hair. Chat with us to find your next favourite paddle brush today!
Mel
Mel is a former Hair Stylist with over a decade of industry experience.
She enjoys writing about all aspects of the hair & beauty world including, trends, new products & best-sellers.
