Taking care of human hair wigs is very important – you already know you need to learn how to wash human hair wigs properly so they’ll be durable and squeaky clean. But it can be very confusing to figure out how often to wash them, as they are of high quality, and you wouldn’t want to end up washing too much, since it reduces their durability, thereby spoiling your treasured wigs.  

How often you choose to wash your human hair wig is a personal choice. Many women wash their wigs every one to two weeks after wear, others wash from two to four weeks. It is possible to reduce how often you have to wash human hair wigs if you are the type who wears a wig cap underneath and remove your wig before going to bed.

However, I will still be showing you how to wash your human hair wigs. The following items are needed in washing human hair wigs:

• Wig brush or wide-toothed comb
• Shampoo
• Hair conditioner
• A basin of cool water
• Clean towel
• Wig oil or serum

Having listed the items, and discussed how often you should wash human hair wigs, let’s talk about how to wash a human hair wig. There are just five easy steps you should follow when cleaning your wig.

How to wash human hair wigs

Step one: 

Before washing your wig, make sure it is tangled-free by detangling it with your finger if it is curly, or using a wig comb if it is straight. Ideally, you should begin from the bottom and find your way up toward the roots.

Step two: 

Next, you need to wet your human hair wig. Place it in a basin under a spout and submerge it completely under cool or lukewarm water. Avoiding hot water, or saltwater helps in preventing damage to your hair strands.

Rinse your hair carefully with your hands, then squeeze it out with your hands, thereby removing the excess water. Do not twist it or squeeze it too hard.

Step three: 

Keeping the shampoo away from the scalp of the wig, rub a little bit of shampoo over each individual hair strand from roots to ends. It’s important not to scrub or rub the hair too hard, as this could cause the strands to fall off. 

It is recommended that you use a clarifying shampoo specially formulated for your type of human hair wig because different types of hair have different shampoos. For instance, if your hair is curly, get a shampoo for curly hair. If your hair is dyed, get a shampoo that’ll maintain the dyed hair, as some shampoos can wash away the dye on it.  If it is straight, also use a special shampoo. 

Remember to make use of a shampoo that is gentle enough so that your human hair wig won’t be damaged. 

Step four: 

Now, allow the wig cap to turn out and place it into the shampoo water. By doing this, the shampoo will be able to reach the wig cap and eliminate dirt, oils, and sweat, most especially on the wig band.

Then it should be washed from the hair with running cool water from the base of the wig up until the bottom is clear. After this step is complete, gently dry the hair with a clean towel. But still, leave it wet to some extent.

Step five: 

While the hair is still a little bit wet, apply a generous amount of a good leave-in conditioner for your human hair wig type. Then, gently use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to detangle the hairs, thereby making the conditioner set in all areas of the wig. 

Leave it to soak in for about four to five minutes, or follow up the instructions on the product’s label. Following the timer, rinse your wig with lukewarm water from top to bottom, making sure all the conditioner is washed out from the strands before patting it dry by using a clean towel.

Step six: 

After you’ve successfully lightly drained the water with a towel, then take it out and let it air dry on a wig stand. 

Do ensure not to make use of a blow dryer or microwave on your human hair wig, wait until it completely dries on its own. 

The only thing left for you is to apply a little amount of wig oil or conditioner spray and wait for your human hair wig to dry.

Once your human hair wig is completely dried then you can begin styling like you normally would.

To style your human hair wig, you can make use of straighteners, curling iron or rollers, and any other product that will suit the style you have in mind. 

Conclusion: 

Once you keep to the above steps, you will enjoy the same luster as ever. However, there are some other ways you can extend its longevity. 

Keep your human hair wig on a wig stand whenever you aren’t wearing it. This will keep it free from dirt and also prevent tangles. 

If your wig is dirty, you can re-wash it after two to four weeks. 

For a more detailed explanation, see these YouTube channels.