If you have ever looked at your hairbrush and found it's packed with clumps of old strands, it might be time to give it a clean.
But if you thought that pulling out these strays was enough to keep your hairbrush in order, you'd be wrong, as one expert has revealed the gross deposits that can remain without a good scrub.
Home Influencer Nicole Jaques recommends giving your hair brushes a "deep clean" at least every two weeks, as it can harbour more than just hair. Sharing on her Instagram profile @itsnicolejaques, she issued a stark warning to her 295k Instagram followers that your hairbrush gathers bacteria with every use.
In a clip shared to the social media platform she said this grey lint is actually "dead skin cells and sebum along with hair product and residue which creates bacteria that's hiding in your brush and it becomes more contaminated".
As reported by Wales Online, Nicole has given a full tutorial on how to clean your hair brushes to keep them germ free. You just need some shampoo or baking soda, mix either of these in warm some warm water and leave the brushes to soak for 20 minutes.
On a video accompanying her message she described the water after cleaning the brush as "so gross." Offering further advice, she added: "If you have a round brush, use scissors to snip the clumps of hair on both sides, for easier removal.
"Once all hair is out of your brushes then fill a large bowl (or your sink) with warm water and mild shampoo or baking soda (for deodoriser) and swish the brush around in the water for a deep clean.
"Let soak for up to 20 mins. Use a clean toothbrush to scrub between the rows of bristles and around the handle if you want. The baking soda will act as a gentle abrasive to remove the gunk and shampoo will help cleanse the brush.
"Rinse under warm water and let dry. Recommended you do this at least every two weeks."
Nicole also recommended using a 70 per cent concentration of rubbing alcohol to disinfect the brushes to "ensure they are thoroughly sterilised." Viewers of the video were left stunned by the revelation and couldn't believe that they never thought of how dirty a brush can become.
Someone commented on the video: "I hate that my dry shampoo makes my brush so nasty." Another said: "You are terrific Nicole. Following you for some time and I love all your content… just fabulous!"
A third commented: "Wow wow wow. I was literally going to ask you how you clean your brushes!!!! This just made my day. . . we’ve been trying everything — sooo grateful."
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