Washing dreadlocks is more important than you think...
Unless, of course, you think it's really, really important...
In the first three weeks your dreadlocks be will very delicate and you'll want to wash them either every 3 days or every 4 days. Pick one and stick to it for the first month. The consistency will help your scalp adjust. If you are washing them every three days your first washing will be three days after you put them in etc. If your dreads itch before it's time to wash go ahead and wash them early. At worst you'll have a little more loose hair to put in. No biggie. After they have had a chance to establish themselves a bit, usually by the start of the second month, you can begin washing them every other day or every second day. You can continue that schedule for the life of the dreads. If possible, always use residue free shampoo when you wash your dreads. Not only will it help them mature faster, it will ensure that new growth continues to lock up and that they continue to dry quickly. Soap residues slow down and in some cases prevent the hair from locking properly. Residues can also build up inside dreads, increasing the time it takes for them to dry. This can eventually lead to dread rot (mildew growing) inside the dreads. Growing mildew is unhealthy and it smells like you're wearing a sour gym bag on your head. Fortunately it's easy to avoid! See the info about getting your dreadlocks dry in our FAQ.
You can keep a nylon stocking on your head while you shower for the first month or so. Yeah, I know you'll look a little ridiculous but it keeps the delicate new dreads together better during washing. Pour some soap on your head, and lather it up through the stocking, then rinse it out really well. If you have rubber bands at the roots and tips wearing the nylon on your head is less necessary as the bands help keep them together pretty well. More on using Using Rubberbands later on...
After you wash your dreads, squeeze and shake the extra water out in the shower. Squeeze them again grabbing them with your towel over your hand. Continue this until most of the water has been squeezed out. Lastly put them in a dry towel (one that doesn't shed) for about 10min or use a hair dryer to dry them well. Later when your dreads mature you'll find that using a hair dryer is more and more necessary. Squeezing them with the towel really helps get the water out of thick dreads. If you decide to let them air dry make sure they are not tied up and make sure the majority of the water is already squeezed out. Do not stick your damp dreads in a tam and leave them there. Getting them dry is very important. You'll probably notice that the inside of the dreads, especially thicker mature dreads, takes quite a while to dry. As long as you get the outside dry, the inside will air dry without a problem unless it's packed full of slimy soap residue...
They also have these nifty hair dryers that have a plastic bag which fills with hot air and dries your dreads faster. These will leave your dreads tight and fluffy. I found one at Sally's Beauty Supply. On a side note: If you have a Sally's near you and you would like to be able to buy DreadHead products there ask the cashier for a product request form. Fill it out and hand it in. If there are enough requests for DreadHead Dread Products everyone near a Sally's will be able to get our stuff locally... very sweet!
You'll notice that after your shower all your rubber bands will have slid up a little, towards the tips. You'll also notice a bit more straight hair at the roots. Washing tends to help the knots move around and this can leave more un-knotted new growth at the roots. Fortunately this is a great time to clockwise rub and make knots. As you check each dread to see if it needs clockwise rubbing you can also slide back any bands that have rolled up the dreads.
