How to Wash Hair in Rain Water

Washing hair in the rain has benefits.

Washing your hair in rainwater saves money on water bills and is beneficial to the environment by saving energy. Being less harsh than tap water, rainwater also strengthens and softens the strands of your hair. According to the Rainwater Connection, "Rainwater is almost neutral in pH, free of salts and minerals, and if collected properly, virtually free of natural and man-made contaminants." Unlike most hard tap water, rainwater is soft water and can make your hair shinier, healthier and more manageable.

Things You'll Need

• Bathing Suit
• Flip Flops
• Bucket or Rainwater Harvesting System
• Rain
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Towel

Instructions

Instructions

1. 

   Buckets are ideal for catching rainwater.

   Check weather reports for a rainy forecast. Gather buckets and set them up outdoors. If you wish to spend a bit more money and time, there are rainwater collection and harvesting systems available, such as corrugated steel cisterns that can hold from 5,000 to 30,000 gallons of stored water, or simple debris traps that filter the rainwater into a storage tank for you.

2. 

   Rainwater

   Decide whether to wash your hair while it's raining or to store the rainwater for later. If you are ready to wash your hair, put on your bathing suit and flip-flops, gather your shampoo and conditioner, and leave a towel just inside your front door. If you wish to save the water for later, leave the buckets or rainwater harvesting systems outside, and collect when you are ready. Follow instructions 3 through 5 for both methods.

3. 

   The heavier the rainfall, the quicker you will be able to wash your hair.

   Look around you. Make sure you are in a private area. Allow rain to thoroughly soak your hair. Run hands through hair until all strands are wet.

4. 

   Read the instructions on your shampoo bottle.

   Follow the instructions on your shampoo and conditioner bottle just as you normally would in the bath or shower. Rinse your hair thoroughly until the rainwater runs clear. Comb through, if needed.

5. 

   Blow dry, air dry or curl your hair as you normally would.

   Grab your towel and dry off hair and body as normal. Style hair as usual. Hair should feel softer and less brittle.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use stored rainwater, be sure to keep the temperature cold because cold water adds shine to hair.

• Don't collect or use collected rainwater before learning the local laws. Some states impose strict rules regulating rainwater harvesting, and can charge hefty fines for violators.

• If you live in a highly polluted area, it might be best to filter the rainwater before you use it on your hair.

• Don't drink rainwater.

References

• Rainwater Connection
• PlanetGreen - "You Can Wash Your Hair with Rainwater"

Resources

• The Rainwater Harvesting Community