Skank-licious hairbrush....... ew!

[Kirin]

So almost every night i rub a drop of oil in my palms, work it through gently, then brush with a BBB to smooth it through. Its a ritual and i love it, how good it is for my hair, who knows LOL.

Anyway last night I did my daughters hair, her hair was sooooooooooo dirty, but the length was a matted horrific mess of a knot. i worked in coconut oil, then used my brush got all the stuff out, then sent her to the showers. Tonight, i put some carrot oil in my hair and reach the brush........

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew......... the SMELL just putting it somewhere near me was enough to make my throat close up!

Its soaking now...... in HOT hot water, it just stank..... Now i haven't washed it in forever, but holy heck in a handbasket, why did it go instantly foul? Her gnarly lil dirty head? The coconut oil? I have no idea bleh.

[kwaniesiam]

Ewwey, that must have been awful! Dirty scalp/hair smell is one of the few things that really bothers me (not from just not washing, I mean when it just smells funky and ick). Maybe try washing it off in some baking soda to help neutralize the odor?

[birthmarkie]

I've found that my BBB did not like water at all. It stank after I tried to wash it. I think it was because of the natural bristles. It was fine when it dried, but I'm not sure whether you can get the oily smells out. I could be that the products (oils) that got on the bristles put their natural stability off course. That is why I try to use the BBB only on absolutely dry, productless hair. ETA: BBB on matted hair? Youch!

[Kirin]

I worked the mats out with my fingers and coconut oil first, it was smooth when i smoothed it down with the BBB.

I put a few drops of african black soap into the water it was soaking in, so we'll see, otherwise i have a ruined brush.

[freznow]

Coconut oil went rancid on me rather quickly. I had to throw out half a jar that I probably haven't had for more than a year (kept in a cool, dry place; rarely opened) because of the stench. It's refined, maybe that makes a difference, but... ew.

So it might be her scalp, might be the coconut oil. I feel sorry for your brush, though.

[birthmarkie]

I worked the mats out with my fingers and coconut oil first, it was smooth when i smoothed it down with the BBB.

I put a few drops of african black soap into the water it was soaking in, so we'll see, otherwise i have a ruined brush.

Oh, whew! Good luck. Wait till it dries for the final verdict and let us know!

[n3m3sis42]

I have a "cleaning brush" that came with my BBB, and the cleaning instructions say to make a lather of lukewarm water and soap (not detergent), then dip the cleaning brush into the lather and brush the lather across the actual hairbrush's bristles vigorously. Once this is done, you rinse the cleaning brush, then dip it in clean water and brush it across the hairbrush to remove the lather.

I had to use these instuctions yesterday, because apparently some camellia oil or my scalp oils went rancid on my (VERY expensive) BBB. It seems to have worked quite well. If you do not have a "special cleaning brush" like me, I'm wondering if you could use a toothbrush or a nail-cleaning brush instead.

[Kirin]

Soaking in the soap seems to have worked.... it smells vaguely like the soap, and the offensive odor appears to be gone, however...... the wood of the brush didnt take kindly to it, some of the dark wood has gone light and has some striations like it might crack eventually, oh well.

I dont think its the coconut oil in the jar, but that which built up on the brush itself that went rancid, that, and i also occassionally use carrot oil mixture, that has olive and castor in it....... i sniffed ye ol bottle of carrot, and wooooooooooooo! stinky. It used to smell wonderful, so i think that and the mix with the coconut on the brush made it so foul.

[cindy58]

I was sniffing various oils at Target yesterday and none of them smelled good enough that I'd want to buy them.

Gnarly little kids need their own brushes! I'd save yours for yourself. They go through that groady (sp?) stage where they think a dash through the raindrops qualifies as a wash. My friend was telling me about her granddaughter who is about 10-11, I think. She said that when she hugged her her hair smelled unclean, and yet she had just showered.

I know that it's something that will most likely take care of itself in time. I told her about some of the nice smelling shampoos and conditioners they have at Bath and Body Works that she might enjoy and would encourage a little lingering in the bath.

[akurah]

Soaking in the soap seems to have worked.... it smells vaguely like the soap, and the offensive odor appears to be gone, however...... the wood of the brush didnt take kindly to it, some of the dark wood has gone light and has some striations like it might crack eventually, oh well.

I dont think its the coconut oil in the jar, but that which built up on the brush itself that went rancid, that, and i also occassionally use carrot oil mixture, that has olive and castor in it....... i sniffed ye ol bottle of carrot, and wooooooooooooo! stinky. It used to smell wonderful, so i think that and the mix with the coconut on the brush made it so foul.

If the odor of the carrot oil has changed, it's probably rancid.