Chaining up the hairbrushes! - YouLookFab Forum

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Chaining up the hairbrushes!

anne

Veteran

I have 3 long haired daughters and long hair myself. Hairbrushes are a sought after item in our house and despite purchasing quite a few, they often go missing.

I secretly bought two small ones of my own use (one for the handbag, one for the gym bag) but they have gone into general use/been lost since our recent trip disrupted everything. As has one replacement bought since then.

My sister suggested chaining them up and I am seriously considering it! (Maybe not chain itself but some other sort of fastening)

I reckon two in their bathroom attached to the bath rack and one more in the car attached somehow to the central console (because they are often finishing off their hair in the car).

What do you think? Have you ever tried anything like this?

(Preemptive strike - I know some of you will be grossed out that we share hairbrushes, but changing that is just too hard. We don't share toothbrushes or cutlery!)

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19 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

catgirl

Veteran

I have not used a hairbrush or comb in at least 10 years. My hair is thick and straight and does not tangle. I wish I could help you!

anne

Veteran

Una - WOW I just can't imagine never having to brush or comb your hair!!

rachylou

Veteran

That's funny. I don't brush my hair either. Just shake it out.

rabbit

Veteran

I used to have combs go missing constantly (and there are only two people in our house). I finally just bought about 10 of them and put them in a bunch of my bags and in all the likely places.

But with hairbrushes there is one drawer the hairbrush goes in, and it's never allowed to be anywhere else except being used in front of the mirror close by or in that drawer. I think one or the other strategy might work, or the string method.

anne

Veteran

Rabbit - all our combs have gone.

I have discovered since writing the above that I do actually still have my handbag brush. YAY! And we do have a couple of others, I'm just trying to think ahead

One spot for brushing would work - but string might reinforce it. There's a lot of wandering around the house doing hair going on!

OTOH - if it is in the bathroom it might interfere with dressing. In their bedrooms ine girl has a dressing table with mirror, one a mirror at the back of her door, and the oldest no mirror at all - she likes to use my bathroom and also likes to use appliances so will need to have the brush near a socket...

Just thinking it over.

Helen11

Veteran

Hahaha not gross to share hairbrushes at our house....though it means we all have to check when the dreaded 'nit notes' come home from school.

If the brushes are not in the correct drawer here I get rather cross. Despite that, we have lost the enormous defanging comb - auto correct! De-Tangling! Comb and I bought a replacement today.

Another option could be to issue each girl her own colour coded/ named brush, and she is then responsible for it. That way you keep your secret stash, and just shrug when no one else can find a brush.

Or charge them pocket money to hire yours!

How about those little retracting cords that go on id badges in workplaces? Double sided tape it to the mirror.

That reminds me of my friend who cured her husband of losing the Tv remote by fixing it to the lounge chair with a length of elastic!

catseye

Veteran

I think you just have to buy more and put them everywhere. And round them up periodically when you clean/straighten the house. Using a chain in front of the mirror is also a reasonable idea.

I cannot believe some of you never had to brush. My hair is thin and fine and every time my DS twirl his fingers around my hair I had to use the scissors to cut some of the knots out. I had to work hard to cure him of that habit. To think some of you have hair that never tangle!

Glory

Veteran

My 2 DDs have long long hair. I have them on a color system: toothbrushes, hairbrushes, towels and bedding. One gets blue, one gets pink. I didn't have this originally but put it in place about 5 years ago at a friends suggestion. It saved my sanity. Short of that I would have my personal stash and keep them hidden away.

JAileen

Veteran

I use my fingers to comb my hair.

I like the ideas mentioned above:

Leave them everywhere - this is what I do with reading glasses

Color coding - my mother color coded my brothers' socks and underwear - one had blue trim and the other green. Or you could write their name on them with a Sharpie.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Several good ideas. Having gotten lice when I loosened up on the no sharing hairbrushes rule, I don't share anything that goes on my head. I have sons, so I bought a purple baseball cap and had flowers embroidered on it. That stopped the problem :).

I like the color coding idea, as that makes everyone responsible for their own items. And you don't get pulled in to looking for things.

I also think having a place for everything is helpful. I'm trying to train my husband that the remotes don't leave the living room. He walks around with them. Once we finally found it on top of the refrigerator!

Aziraphale

Veteran

Great idea! It's sort of like the librarian who chains her pen to her desk.

I don't think it's gross to share hairbrushes. Hair doesn't harbour a lot of bacteria, like mouths do. Mind you, if one person gets lice, you'll all have it!

anne

Veteran

Exactly E.. My kid's current school is much better than their last one about lice and they haven't had it for ages, though I did have to eliminate some after our recent trip to Nepal.

Helen11 I'm not sure I'l strong enough to just "shrug" but I do like your retractable cord idea a lot!!

Things are actually ok at the moment (it is the second week of term, and my girls are still in the "let's be really organised, wake up early, get ready early" stage that they go through early in the term, which is great)

And no-one has even borrowed my home bathroom brush for awhile (they have their favourites - and mine isn't one of them so they'll only use it as a backup)

I am however, thinking of buying the things (Cords and extra brushes) and getting them set aside for when the early enthusiasm has waned.

Barbara Diane My husband is always putting things on top of the fridge and he's the only one tall enough to see them

Thanks for all your input everyone.

Anonymous

I've never done that, but maybe I should do that with my scissors. No matter how many pairs I buy, I can never find a pair when I need to cut something. We have a dedicated drawer for the scissors, too, but I seem to be the only one who ever puts them back in there.

Joy

Veteran

I've had to chain up scissors and buy myself pink tools as DH keeps taking mine. I like the color coding idea. If they can't find their brush maybe they will have to use a comb. Someday they may have roommates who will be upset with the borrowing.

anne

Veteran

I'm sure if they did have their individual ones they would ask (they do ask me about borrowing mine - it is returning that is the problem!).

Empathy here on the scissors Joy and BC!

Helen11

Veteran

I'm laughing about the scissors. When we were growing up there was one pair of scissors in the kitchen, for general use and if they weren't returned to their designated hook, there was TROUBLE. I can't remember any punishments handed down - I think we didn't ever dare not put them away!

So, maybe the solution is to have fewer items, rather than extras.

Anonymous

And my mother, who was a seamstress and a great cook, had scissors for sewing and scissors for embroidery and scissors for poultry. I do the same, and it irks me when somebody uses the wrong scissors. After all, there are at least 3 pairs of regular scissors.

unfrumped

Veteran

I think it is a great idea and would use a combination of ideas.
I "chained up" the pen and pad for 2 phones, in the days when we used the landline more and wanted to take down a message or number. That was after no amount of pens (though it IS possible to have reams of cheap pens, coompared to hairbrushes) and small paper pads went missing.

I also label scissors "my desk" and "kitchen" etc--doesn't keep them from walking off, but it was to help me know, who's missing and where to put back. So I like the hairbrush color-coding to start off with one personal brush for each girl. It's not a bad idea to have the next one come out of their pocket money and if they're color-coded, it's evident who's up for buying! No plans to be too preachy about that because I was not extremely good at that when our DD's were small, but I'm sure all parents have noticed how careful our kids get once they are more on their own and have to pay for things themselves! Watching for sales, keeping track, taking care of their things, doing repairs--it's balm for the spirit to see them come around.

I think having one or 2 key areas--such as your idea for one main bathroom and the car--with
either a lightweight chain or retractable cord or those springy coiled cords is a great idea--is a great backup plan.

Systems like these can really be helpful in keeping family organized

rachylou

Veteran

I labeled my pen once...my boss just walked around with a pen that said 'rachylou.' Lol!