Don't Brush This Off: the importance of proper brush cleaning and maintenance

Many brushes wear out over time because of a buildup of styling product, debris and oil which degrades the rubber pad causing pins to loosen and repostition. Cleaning your brush after each use will protect the investment of these essential grooming tools.

Here are a few easy steps for proper brush cleaning:

• Begin cleaning by using your fingers to gently remove as many of the woven strands of hair from your brush as you can.
• Once most of the hair has been removed from the brush, draw a dry bristle brush cleaner several times across the pin brush from end to end to remove any remaining hair and debris from the brush. We like to recommend the Chris Christensen Brush Cleaner packed with 37mm nylon bristles.
• Next, apply a bit of waterless bath to the bristles of the brush cleaner. We recommend Chris Christensen OC Magic Foam. This waterless bath makes a fantastic brush cleaner. This "magic" foam breaks away build-up and gives easier control of the application. The foam also greatly reduces the amount of moisture your brush is exposed to. Excess moisture will degrade the rubber pad of your brush over time. It is important to apply the foam to the brush cleaner and not directly to your bristle, pin or slicker brush. Draw the brush cleaner (with the foam) gently over the pins of your brush from end to end to loosen and remove any remaining debris.
• Shake your brush to remove any excess moisture and set the brush face down to dry completely, so that any remaining moisture will dry and drain away from the pad.
• Shake your brush cleaner and set it to dry face down as well.

We hope that by following these steps you will enjoy your grooming brushes for years to come. By the way, you can use these exact steps to extend the life of the brushes you use on your own hair as well!