6 Tips To Cut Your Wash Day Time in Half!

Yes the dreaded wash day. It’s tangled, not clean, and dry dry dry. However, when I hear friends and natural haired individuals on social media complain that wash day takes them many hours, I am confused.

Yes, I agree it is treacherous but it should not be taking more than 1.5- 2 hours. And even less than that if you’re not deep conditioning! There are plenty of other things you could do that will lengthen your wash day such as a protein treatment, hot oil treatment, pre-poo, etc. Nevertheless, if you are doing a basic wash and refresh for the upcoming week, here are some ways you can cut your wash day in half, or at least shorten it!

• DO part and scratch you scalp before starting. This will lift product buildup and dirt before you start washing. You’ll use less time and energy scrubbing your scalp when you shampoo.

• DO start early! The earlier your start in the day the better. You’ll be interrupted way less by other things you have to do, and your hair will have more time to dry. I always try to wash my hair in the mornings because there are fewer distractions than if I was washing in the middle of the day.

I always try to wash my hair in the mornings because there are fewer distractions than if I was washing in the middle of the day.

• DO focus shampoo only on your scalp, that’s what it is for! The shampoo will run down your hair shaft cleaning it as well, so your focus doesn’t have to be applying shampoo to your actual hair like you would a conditioner. Lather up and massage your scalp, rinse.

• DO wash your hair in sections. Especially for those with more hair density and length, this makes washing easier and ensures all parts are being washed properly.  By dealing with one section at a time, you’re not washing more than same areas of your hair over and over (which can waste time). Overall it’s a more organized process.

• DON’T sleep in conditioner overnight. Read the directions on the container and leave in the product for the suggested time, maybe rounding up by a few minutes. There is such thing as your hair getting too much moisture which will cause your hair to be lifeless, mushy, and weak.  The maximum amount of time needed is about 30 minutes for most products.  This is the main culprit as to why a lot of wash days take so long for some people and it really shouldn’t.

This is the main culprit as to why a lot of wash days take so long and it really shouldn’t.

• DON’T mulitask while washing your hair. This is another big reason wash day takes forever. You leave in your deep conditioner while you’re doing the laundry or cleaning and then time escapes you! Hours have past and your hair hasn’t been rinsed out or styled. It saves time if you stay focused and finish each step.

I hope these tips help you conquer your wash day. It doesn’t have to take over your life! Yes as I said before there are extra treatments that you can do to give your hair extra strength and moisture but if you have your basic routine down, you can keep your process time to a minimum. There is life after wash day.

What are  things that make your wash days super long?