If you have a feline in your life, then you'll want to know how to clean a cat brush. And if your furkid requires more grooming like nail cutting or hair trims, you should also know how to keep your entire cat's grooming kit sanitary.
Brushing your cat can help cut down on shedding in your home, and can also prevent longer-haired cats from getting matted hair that can then become painful for them. Clipping your cat's nails can help keep both your furniture and them safe, as longer nails can splinter or get caught on things more easily and tear.
It's important to keep both your cat and your cat's grooming equipment clean, so we'll take you through how to clean a cat brush and so much more in this guide. In no time your cat, grooming equipment, and home will be lovely and clean!
Why is it important to clean cat grooming equipment?
Groomers will always sanitize and disinfect cat grooming tools in order to help prevent the spread of diseases, as well as to remove the scent of a previous cat or dog. If you're a multi-cat household, your cats may not enjoy getting brushed or groomed by something that smells like another cat, and if you have any sick cats or cats with fleas or other communicable bugs, cleaning your cat's grooming equipment is very important.
Cleaning grooming equipment also helps ensure that its working properly, as a hair-clogged brush won't be as effective as a clean one. Here's how to clean a cat brush, from the regular combs to the more efficient hair-catching brushes.
How to clean a cat brush
1. Remove excess fur from brush or comb
First you'll want to pick out visible hairs and dirt from the brush's pad or bristles. If you use a bristle brush for your cat - which looks a lot like the ones humans use - you can use a rat tail comb to pull out excess hair from between the bristles.
If you're using a slicker brush, it may be even easier to get the hair out, as many of them have a pushing mechanism that will help push the hair out of the bristles. If you're using a molting comb, which is perfect for long-haired cats, it'll be fairly easy to remove excess hair.
If you can't get all of the hair out of the comb, don't worry, as the next step will likely get the rest out.
2. Make a solution of water and vinegar or cat-safe shampoo
Get a large mixing bowl of warm water and mix in either a vinegar-based solution (apple cider or white varieties) or a pet-safe shampoo. If you're using a vinegar-based solution, equal parts water and vinegar. If you're using pet shampoo, a few generous squirts of shampoo should do the trick.
3. Dip the brush bristles or comb teeth into the solution
Here's where all the excess dirt and hair will come off. Take the brush bristles or comb teeth and dip them into the solution you've just made. You can keep them submerged from anywhere to five or thirty minutes. This is an important step because even if you plan on using antibacterial soap, soaking is the only way to get off caked-on dirt or grime.
4. Rinse with clean water
After soaking, there may still be some residual hair or dirt stuck to the brush bristles or comb. Remove them by rinsing in clean water and shaking the brush or comb to whisk off the moisture.
5. Spray with a disinfectant
If you're worried about spreading germs, viruses, bacteria, or any other things between your pets, you may want to apply a stronger disinfectant. There are disinfecting sprays you can buy from companies like Nature's Miracle that you can use.
6. Let the brush dry, bristle side down
Let the brush dry, bristles side down on a towel so that the water doesn't drain into the brush head or the handle. If you have an old dish rack, you can use this for drying, too.
How to clean a complete cat grooming kit
Maybe you've got a full grooming kit for kitty that isn't just brushes and combs, but nail clippers or hair trimmers. If you have multiple cats or just want to keep thins extra-special clean, here's how clean all the part's of a cat's grooming kit:
Scissors, clippers and combs
Most of the items can be easily cleaned, especially when compared to brushes. Any stainless steel or metal grooming items like nail clippers, nail scissors, or hair scissors can be soaked in order to remove and dirt, grime, or germs.
Sanitize combs, razors, scissors, trimmers by removing hair and heavy soil. Then mix 1/2 ounce of disinfecting soap or bleach if you're concerned about germs in a jar they can be completely submerged in. Then let them sit for at least one minute, remove, rinse thoroughly, and let dry.
How often should cat grooming tools be cleaned
If you are using tools between cats and are worried about germs spreading, you'll want to clean them after every use. If you're not worried about the spreading of any sort of critters or diseases, you can clean as needed - you'll know when a brush needs cleaning when it gets full of hair and won't work as effectively any more.
If you have a particularly dirty cat who likes to get into mud or other messy things, you may need to clean them once every one to two weeks. Use your discretion!
