How to Wash a Wig

Lots of women own wigs. Some own them out of necessity while others simply enjoy having the option to change up their look. Whatever the reason, there are thousands of wigs and hairpieces sold every yearand they aren't cheap. For that reason, it's important to maintain them so that they will last for many years to come. But how is the best way to do that? Let's explore how to wash a wig.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wig care card of information (if received with the product
• Water
• Cleansing product for synthetic or human hair (whichever applies)
• Towel
• Surface for drying

1. Identify whether the wig you want to wash is human hair or synthetic. If you are uncertain for some reason, check the inside label of the wig. Most are marked somewhere on the interior. If yours is not, then pull all of the information that you received with the wig. Somewhere within that, the product's origin will be identified.

2. Determine the proper cleansing product to use for your wig. While most human hair wigs can be washed in virtually any mild shampoo, synthetic wigs often have different requirements. Many must be washed with products that were made specifically for them. Sometimes the product care card or information that you received with the wig will specifically lay out how it should be cleansed.

3. Determine where you want to wash the wig. You can use a kitchen or bathroom sink, a tub, or a bowl for the process. However, whatever you choose should have access to plenty of water for rinsing purposes.

4. Gather together the appropriate cleansing agent for your wig and a towel to lay it on after washing. Make sure you have a surface upon which to lay the towel and place the wig for drying.

5. Fill your sink, tub, or bowl with warm water. Make certain that the temperature is not too hot, especially for synthetic wigs. Excessive heat can damage synthetic fibers.

6. Gently immerse your wig into the water, making sure to get it thoroughly dampened.

7. Put about a nickel-sized portion of the cleansing agent in the palm of your hand and lather it slightly by rubbing your hands together.

8. Gently massage the cleansing agent into the wig fibers, making certain that you cleanse from the top of the wig to its ends. Rub carefully to loosed any dirt or oil from the wig's "hair."

9. Rinse the wig in warm to cool water. Make sure that you get all of the cleansing agent out of the hair. Rinse a second time to make certain that all dirt and oil is released.

10. Carefully ring the excess water out of the wig. Be sure to get out as much moisture as possible so that the wig will dry out in a timely fashion.

11. Lay the wig on a towel to dry. Make sure to spread out the hair evenly so that it will dry in a timely fashion.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have dyed your human hair wig, use a color retention shampoo in order to maintain the color for as long as possible.
• While not required, you can opt to condition your human hair wig.
• It is permissible to use tangle free agents in most human hair wigs; however, check your particular wig's care information before doing so.
• Most human hair wigs can be styled with rollers and other curling products; however, some do not respond well to heat styling with curling or flat irons, hot rollers and the like.
• Synthetic wigs cannot be styled and should simply be shaken out once thoroughly dry.
• Avoid using any kind of harsh shampoos or chemicals, even on a human hair wig.
• There is no advantage to conditioning a synthetic wig.
• Avoid using excess hair products on all wigs, but specifically on synthetic wigs.
• Keep all wigs away from flames or other heat sources that might expose the wig to excessive heat.
• Do not attempt to dye a synthetic wig as it won't work but might damage synthetic fibers.
• Never brush or comb a wig's hair while it is still wet.

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