Learning how to clean your hairpiece is an essential step in good hairpiece care. Whether you have a stock hairpiece or custom hairpiece, use hairpiece adhesive or hairpiece tape, the process is easier than you may think.

Washing your hair system on a consistent basis is key to a long hair system lifespan, since adhesive residues, oil build up, and dust can damage your hairpiece over time. Not to mention that without regular cleanings, your hair system may start to smell.

Though most of these steps are the same for all hair systems, cleaning methods vary depending on what material your hair system is made of. In order to thoroughly clean your hairpiece without damaging it, it is essential that you determine whether your hairpiece is made of synthetic or human hair.

You should have the following supplies prepared ahead of time when cleaning either synthetic or human-hair hairpieces:

• A hair system stand to support the hair system while brushing and styling it.
• A brush designed specifically for use with hair systems
• A bathroom with ample space for washing and styling your hairpiece

Synthetic Hair Hairpiece Cleaning Instructions

If you have determined that your hair system is made of synthetic hair, be sure to follow this procedure to clean it properly.

1. Gently brush your Hair system while it is dry. A hairpiece stand is helpful in this process, as it allows you to brush the hair system carefully without snagging the base material.
2. Immerse your hair system in a container full of cold water. Your bathroom sink should work just fine if you put the stopper in it. Remember, hot water will damage synthetic strands so use cold water only!
3. Soak the entire hair system, including the strands and base. Remember to never brush your synthetic hair system while it is wet as you could damage it.
4. With your hair system wet, it's time to move onto the shampoo! Put some synthetic hair shampoo on the palm of your hands, and gently spread it through your hair system.
5. After a minute, rinse your hair system thoroughly with cold water. Get rid of any shampoo residue that might be on the base or strands.
6. If you have any stuck-on residue on your hairpiece base, now would be a good time to remove it. Here is a guide on how to do this properly.
7. Once your hairpiece is fully cleaned, it is time to apply synthetic hair conditioner. Put a generous amount of conditioner on your hands, and gently spread it through the strands of your hair system. Do not allow the conditioner to come into contact with the base of your hair system, as this could loosen hair knots and result in hair loss.
8. After letting the conditioner sit in the hair system for a few minutes, thoroughly rinse it out of the hair system.
9. Now your hair system should be squeaky clean. How exactly do you dry a clean hairpiece? Check out our in-depth hair system drying tutorial.

Human-Hair Hairpiece Cleaning Instructions

Though the general process of cleaning a human hair hairpiece is similar to that of a synthetic hairpiece, the products used are widely different, and some steps vary. If you have determined that your hairpiece is made of human hair, be sure to follow these steps:

1. Gently brush your Hair system while it is dry. A hairpiece stand is helpful in this process, as it allows you to brush the hair system carefully without snagging the base material. Be gentle, don't pull on the cap. Always check the nape of the base, as it tends to get more tangled than the rest of the hair system.
2. Now it's time to soak the hairpiece. For human hair, you can use warm or cold water, but hot water should be avoided, as it can damage and dry out the hair. Let water run from the top of the hairpiece down, ensuring that water is evenly distributed over the entire hairpiece.
3. Squeeze out excess water, and apply a shampoo specially made for human hair systems. Put a decent amount of shampoo in your hands, and rub them together to make a foam. Gently distribute shampoo throughout the hair system.
4. In the event that the base of the hair system has accumulated oils from your scalp, turn the hair system inside out and gently wash the inside of the cap with shampoo.
5. Thoroughly and gently rinse out all shampoo from top to bottom, taking care not to scrub or crunch the hair.
6. Now is a great time to remove any stuck-on residue that may be on your hairpiece base. Here is a guide on how you can do this at home.
7. To apply conditioner start from the tips of the hair system and work your way up, avoiding the base of the hair system entirely.
8. Allow the conditioner to sit on the hair for two minutes so that it can be fully absorbed.
9. Gently rinse out all traces of conditioner, taking care not to pull or tug at the hair system excessively. 

Though you likely avoid getting your hairpiece dirty in the first place, the accumulation of dust and oils overtime is inevitable.

In order to have the best hairpiece lifespan possible, it is essential that you stick to a consistent hairpiece maintenance routine — particularly when it comes to washing and conditioning your hair system.

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