How To Wash Sew In At Home?

Have you had your sew-in installed for some time without washing it? Or you'll love installing a sew-in but wonder if you can wash it. Yes, you can! 

Since sew-ins are woven into cornrows, you might need help with how to wash them. It is normal to fear facing loose tracks and seeing threads. But for a smooth, shiny, and better appearance, washing your sew-in can no longer be delayed.

In this article, you will learn how to wash your sew-in following a few steps. Read through to find out how.

Step By Step To Wash Your Sew In Weave

Step 1: Detangle Your Hair

While you wash, you want to avoid tangles that lead to breakage. So, the first step to cleansing your sew-in is to detangle your hair properly.

This includes detangling your leave out hair and sew-in hair weaves. Make sure you work from the tip up to the root. It becomes easy and smooth to deal with that way.

You can use a wide tooth comb or a detangle brush. It works well when it comes to detangling.

Run some water on your weave as you prepare for the next step.

Step 2: Shampoo and Wash Your Scalp

Before washing your hair, there are some tips you need to pay attention to:
1) If you have much build-up, choose a clarifying shampoo, if you regularly wash your sew-in weave like once a week, and there is no build-up, choose a sulfate-free shampoo.

2) For the health of your sew-in weave, it's best to regularly wash your weave and avoid using a clarifying shampoo that may dry and damage your weave.

3) While you wash your sew-in, work your hands through your hair for a proper cleansing.

Now let's dive into the details to shampoo the sew in weave:

• Work your fingers through your hair to make the products saturated in your hair thoroughly.
• Get to the roots, the braids, and the wefts of the hair. Move to the extensions and work your fingers through them as well.
• You can repeat the shampooing process two to three times.
• We advise you to use scalp scrubbers to clean your scalp. An applicator bottle should help as well. That will be for diluting your shampoo as it makes it easier to penetrate your weave.
• After, rinse your sew-in as much as you can. It will help you avoid irritation that can occur.

Step 3: Deep Conditioning

Now, condition your braids and the sew-in for healthy hair. You can apply a little to the sew-in extension and comb through it. Wear a shower cap for a boost and wait while it sits in.

Remove it after a 5-10 minutes while and rinse properly. Comb through your weaves once more. It should detangle easily by this time with the help of the conditioner.

Step 4: Dry Your Weave

There are different ways to dry your weave. However, sitting under a dryer is the most effective way. This is because your cornrows need to be dried thoroughly and air drying might not do the work you want.

So, the drying process requires a little assistance. A hooded dryer can help. Follow these steps:

- Use a neat towel to dampen your rinsed hair.

- Add heat protectant to your hair and sew in.

- Sit under a hooded dryer for 30 minutes.

If there are still a few wet areas after sitting under the hooded dryer, get a blow dryer and dry up those areas. Be careful of the heat so you don’t burn yourself.

Step 5: Moisturize Your Scalp

Sew-ins can dry the scalp and cause flaking. That makes it necessary to moisturize your scalp once your hair is properly dry. You don't want to get the extension greasy and oily, so avoid moisturizing that part.

You can section the hair to have room to reach every area of your scalp. Apply the oil in the areas you've sectioned and massage gently. You can use a scalp tonic or oil. Any of them works.

Step 6: Style Your Sew-in

Now it's time to style. Get your tools ready and start styling. You can use hot tools like a hot comb, flat iron, or curling iron. But be sure to apply a heat protectant to avoid frizziness. The key in this step is to blend leave out to your hair weave, it may include straightening your leave-out hair and applying styling products to help blend with your hairstyle. Then style as you like. And that's it!

Video On How To Wash Sew Ins

Tips for Washing Your Sew-ins

1. Be extra gentle when you comb

You want to comb gently when you have sew-ins. It's possible to tug at the bundles and cornrows if you are not gentle enough. Those little errors can lead to hair damage or breakage. So, comb and detangle gently. You can run your finger through first to get rid of big tangles. Then, work with a wet brush for smaller ones.

2. Wash every week

It is only proper to maintain a good wash routine every week while you have your sew-ins installed. You can keep your hair moisturized and maintain a luxurious appearance.

Imagine exercising often or having an oily scalp. Your scalp might not be able to tolerate the skips in-between, your weave might accumulate products and you may even feel itchy. Repeated weekly washing becomes a must.

3. Become creative when styling

It's okay not to want heat on your head. There's a way to go about it. You can become creative using other methods. 

Braiding your extension immediately after rinsing is a good idea. Your hair naturally becomes wavy after it dries. But make sure you are applying a setting product to avoid frizziness.

Another way is to use hair rollers. You are to roll different sections with them and wait till your hair dries for a gorgeous result. Waiting might take a while. So it's best to do it at night and wake up to styled hair extensions.

4. Do not sleep with the wet hair

Without styling or drying, do not sleep with your wet hair. It can irritate your scalp, or even make it smell. You don't want your braids to be affected by the damage it can cause.

Frequently Asked Questions on Sew-Ins

1. How do you wash sew-in with leave-out?

Wash your sew-in following the steps we've outlined above. For your leave out, you should use your natural hair shampoo and conditioner for those areas.

2. What can I wash my sew-in with?

Use some sulfate-free shampoo, a good condition as well. Get a wet brush for detangling and a microfiber towel for drying.

3. How do I wash the sew-in weave with closure?

You can wash it as you would wash your sew-in with leave out. Follow our steps for a good result. However, we advise you to remove the glue and wash it before applying a fresh new glue. That's because you don't want to get your hair messy with glues. To style back, you can stretch your hair to align with the extensions.

4. How do you maintain a sew-in after a wash day?

You can keep your extensions maintained like you would with your natural hair. A few of those are:

● Make sure your extensions are dried properly before going to bed.

● Wash and condition your sew-in once a week for a healthy weave.

● Be gentle while you comb your sew-in. You don't want to tug on it and have it damaged.

● Sleep with a bonnet to reduce tangling and breakage that may occur.

5. How often should I brush my weave?

Regularly brushing your weave is ideal for keeping it healthy. You can reduce tangling and breakage if you brush your weave every day. A healthy habit will be brushing it in the morning and at night. Use a wide tooth comb to brush and wear a silk bonnet to sleep.

6. How do I wash a sew-in with a net?

The routine for washing a sew-in with a net is the same with others. But to get into your cornrows, make use of a bottle applicator. It makes it easy to get the mixture to your hair without affecting the net.

Once you’ve rinsed your hair, moisturize after. You can apply a moisturizer with a spray bottle. Reach your tracks by separating the extension and spraying to your cornrows beneath.

7. How do you wash your sew-in without getting your cornrows wet?

Washing your braids underneath can take forever to dry. If you'd like to wash the sew-in extension without your braids, here's how:

● Dampen your extension with water. You won't allow water to touch your roots.

You can make use of your sink and a bowl for this process.

● Move to shampoo the hair without reaching your scalp.

● Condition likewise and keep it rested for a few minutes.

● Rinse the conditioner from the extensions and wash your leave-out if you have one.

● Let it dry and style.

Another way is to use dry shampoo and dampen a towel to clean your bundles. You wipe them down for a clean result.

There You Have it!

In this article, we've provided the steps to follow if you want a fresh, clean, and shiny sew-in after a washing process. There are likewise answers to some frequently asked questions. We hope you find them helpful.

For any other questions on how to wash your sew-in hair extensions, please leave them in the comment section.