How to Clean and Reuse Your Color Shells (Here’s My Method)

One of the things I appreciate most about Color Shells is that they’re reusable. In a profession that throws away an astonishing amount of foil every single day, having a tool you can use again and again — dozens of times — is good for your costs and good for the planet. But “reusable” only works if cleaning them is quick and painless. So here’s the exact method I’ve landed on after a lot of trial and error.

Step one: stack them as you go

The cleanup actually starts at the chair. As I remove each shell from the hair after processing, I stack them open, one on top of the next. Building that neat open stack as I work means I’m not chasing a pile of sticky, closed shells around the station later — they come off the head and go straight into an organized stack.

Step two: a warm, soapy soak

I lay the stack of shells on their side in a large dish pan, fill it with very warm water, add a couple of squirts of shampoo, and let them soak for a while. The warm water and a little shampoo do most of the work for you — there’s no scrubbing each one individually. While they soak, I’m free to do literally anything else.

Step three: rinse and spot-clean

After the soak, I take them out and rinse them off. Most of the time that’s it — they come clean with no effort. If there’s a little stubborn residue hanging on, I keep a brush with a long handle nearby and give it a quick brush off. That long handle saves your hands and gets into the textured surface where product likes to hide.

Step four: air-dry on their side

Finally, I lay the stack back on its side to air dry. Standing them on their side lets the water run off instead of pooling, so they dry faster and they’re ready to go again — and again, and again. The whole routine adds just a few minutes to the end of a service, and in exchange you get a tool that pays for itself many times over.

Reusable is a selling point, too

Don’t underestimate how much clients notice this. When they see you using a clean, professional, reusable tool instead of tearing through disposable foil, it tells them you care about your craft and about waste. That’s a small story that quietly builds trust.

If you’re ready to cut down on foil for good, both shell sizes are in our shop.

Now I’m genuinely curious — do you have a cleaning trick for your shells that works even better? Share your method in the comments; I’m always looking to improve mine.