How to wash human hair bundles without loosening the weft

Quick answer: Detangle from the ends up, wash in lukewarm water with a sulphate-free shampoo, always working downwards from the weft to the ends, condition the lengths but not the seam, then press the water out with a towel and let the hair air-dry. Never rub, wring or pile the hair on top of your head. Curly and wavy bundles need more conditioner and no brushing once dry.

Human hair bundles do not get the natural oils your scalp gives your own hair, so how you wash them decides how long they stay soft. The routine below works for every texture we make, from straight bundles to kinky curly, whether the wefts are sewn in or off the head.

Before you start

• A wide-tooth comb or a loop brush. Fine-tooth combs pull on the weft.
• A sulphate-free shampoo and a rinse-out conditioner. Add a deep-conditioning mask for blonde and curly hair.
• Lukewarm water. Hot water dries the hair and can relax a steam-set pattern.
• A microfibre towel or an old cotton T-shirt, which are gentler than a terry towel.

New bundles can be washed before they are installed if you want to see the pattern after water, but they do not need it: they leave our Delhi facility clean and ready to sew in.

Washing bundles off the head

1. Detangle dry. Hold the weft in one hand and comb from the last few centimetres upwards, a section at a time, until the comb runs from weft to ends.
2. Wet the hair downwards. Hold the weft under the tap or in a basin and let the water run the same way as the hair grows. Never swirl bundles in water; that is how tangles start.
3. Shampoo along the length. Put a little diluted shampoo in your palm and smooth it from the weft to the ends. Squeeze gently; do not scrub the hair between your hands.
4. Rinse until the water runs clear, again from the weft downwards.
5. Condition the lengths. Apply conditioner from just below the seam to the ends, comb it through with your fingers or the wide-tooth comb and leave it for a few minutes. Keep it off the seam itself.
6. Rinse with cool water to smooth the cuticle.
7. Press, do not wring. Lay the bundle on the towel, fold the towel over it and press. Then hang it by the weft or lay it flat to dry.

Washing a sew-in on your head

With the bundles installed, the aim is to clean your scalp and braids without matting the hair on top. Part the hair, apply diluted shampoo along the parts with a nozzle bottle, massage the scalp with your fingertips and let the lather run down the lengths rather than rubbing them. Rinse with your head tilted back or forwards so the water flows from root to tip, then condition the lengths only.

Dry the braids under the wefts completely, with a hooded dryer on a cool or warm setting if you have one. Braids that stay damp under a sew-in are what cause a musty smell.

Curly and wavy textures

Deep wave, water wave, curly and kinky curly bundles hold their pattern best when they are wet with conditioner. Detangle only while the conditioner is in, with your fingers first and a wide-tooth comb second. After rinsing, scrunch a leave-in conditioner or curl cream through the lengths and leave the hair to dry without touching it. Brushing a curly texture once it is dry turns the pattern into frizz.

Body wave, loose wave, deep wave, water wave, curly and kinky curly are steam-set patterns. Water does not remove them, but repeated heat does: a straightener or a hot blow-dry relaxes the pattern a little more each time.

#27 and #613 blonde

Our #613 and #27 shades are lifted in our facility before they are made up, and lifted hair needs more moisture than the natural shades. Use a mask every week or two, and a purple shampoo once a week if the blonde turns brassy; more often dries the hair.

Drying, heat and storage

• Let the hair air-dry where you can. If you blow-dry, use a heat protectant and a medium setting, and point the nozzle downwards.
• Keep straighteners and curling irons under 180 °C, always with a heat protectant.
• Never sleep on wet hair. Tie it loosely or plait it, and sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase.
• Store bundles that are off the head dry, loosely wrapped and flat, out of direct sun.

With this kind of care, every quality we sell lasts 3–5 years. For the full picture of what shortens that, read how long human hair lasts, and for clip-ins, tapes and tips see how to care for human hair extensions.