How to Clean a Baby Hair Brush? | Keep Natural Bristles Safe

For the full breakdown, see our best Baby Hair Brush guide.

Baby brushes with natural bristles — goat hair, boar bristle, or soft nylon — collect more than loose strands. Dead skin, dried shampoo, and cradle cap flakes build up between bristles, and that residue goes right back onto your baby’s scalp the next time you brush. The right cleaning method takes about two minutes and protects both the brush and your child’s skin. Here is exactly how to do it without damaging the bristles or the handle.

What You Need and How to Prep the Brush

Gather warm water, a gentle baby-safe shampoo or mild soap, and a soft cloth or clean toothbrush. No bleach-based cleaners, and no soaking — those are the two rules that matter most.

Start by pulling out every trapped hair with your fingers or the wide end of a comb. Failing to remove hair and residue before washing cuts the cleaning’s effectiveness, because water and soap can’t reach the base of the bristles through a mat of old hair.

The 4-Step Washing Method

Once the loose hair is gone, follow this sequence for both goat-hair and boar-bristle brushes.

1. Dip only the bristles into the water — never submerge the handle. Wooden and bamboo handles can crack or warp when soaked, and even plastic-handled brushes benefit from keeping the base dry.
2. Work the bristles gently with your fingertips, a soft damp face cloth, or a clean toothbrush to lift dust, oils, and cradle cap flakes. Bass Brushes recommends the cloth or toothbrush approach for deep cleaning.
3. Rinse under cool or lukewarm running water, keeping the handle pointed up and away from the stream. Shake off excess water.

For cradle cap care, MedlinePlus advises brushing the child’s hair with a clean, soft brush after each shampoo and several times during the day, and washing that brush with soap and water each day to remove scales and scalp oil. That daily wash matters most when cradle cap is active.

Drying: The Step Everyone Gets Wrong

Lay the brush flat with the bristles facing down on a clean, dry towel. Do not stand it upright — gravity will pull residual moisture down the bristle base and into the handle, where it can damage wood or bamboo over time.

Air-drying is the only safe method. Never use a hair dryer, radiator, or direct sunlight; harsh heat damages delicate natural bristles and can crack wooden handles. Purebaby’s support guidance for its goat hairbrush says the same: keep the wooden handle dry, avoid bleach-based cleaners, and dry with bristles facing down.

For routine maintenance between deep cleans, wipe the handle with a damp cloth and give the bristles a quick pass with a soft dry cloth after each use. A full wash every one to two weeks — or more often during cradle cap flare-ups — keeps the brush in good shape without over-washing the natural materials.