It's Probably Time To Wash Your Hair Ties — Here's An Easy Tutorial

Quick question: When was the last time you cleaned your hair scrunchies? Honest answer: It's probably been too long. Yes, you need to regularly wash those guys—perhaps even more so in the summer months. 

If you haven't given your hair ties a proper cleaning in a while (or, uh, ever), consider this your friendly shove to get scrubbing. It doesn't take too long (promise!), and your scrunchies and elastics will look as pristine as the day you got 'em. 

Simple: You tend to sweat more in warmer temperatures, which means those ties can easily build up with oil, bacteria, hair care products, and overall grime. So just as you might shampoo a bit more to tackle the extra sweat and oil that comes with hot, humid weather, you'll want to increase the wash schedule for your greasy ties.

It's a similar method to how you would hand-wash any piece of clothing—you just might not need as much detergent, given the smaller size. Fill your sink with warm water and a few drops of gentle, eco-friendly liquid detergent, Castile soap, or dish soap (if that's all you've got). 

Silk ties require a bit more care, given that they're made from delicate, fine fibers (they're also incredibly smooth, which means your strands will gently glide against the hair tie without snagging). You may be able to get away with a longer time between washes since the fabric is moisture-wicking, but they can still garner stains after some time. 

When they're ready for a clean, you can always machine wash on a cold, gentle cycle and hang them out to air-dry. Or you can use an extra-gentle hand-washing method: Fill up a clean sink or bucket with cold water and a few drops of mild, unscented liquid soap. You can spot clean any stains beforehand by adding a drop of soap directly to the stain and using your fingers to gently rub it in. Then gently swish the silk tie in the sudsy water, letting it soak for 15 to 30 minutes.