How to Shampoo a Bedridden Person's Hair

Arrange supplies nearby. You'll need them with arm's reach.

Remove bedding from near the bedridden person. You need to get the person in a flat position. You can stack the pillows in a nearby chair. Fold the blankets and sheets away from the person.

Place a waterproof mat under the person. You need to make sure the waterproof mat or sheet is beneath his head and shoulder before you begin shampooing.

Cover the person with a cotton blanket. You want it tucked under his chin.

Set a trough under the person's head. If you have one, you can connect it to the catch basin beside the bed. If you don't have one, you can roll a towel up and fold it into a "U" shape and insert it into a trash bag. You place the bag and towel under his head, so a leg of the U is under his head and the curve of it prevents the water from running onto the bed. The edge of the trash bag should drip into the catch basin.

Pour water onto person's head. You want to control the water from gushing onto his head too quickly. For short hair, you can rub a wet washcloth over the head until the hair is thoroughly wet.

Apply the shampoo. Start with a small amount of shampoo into your hands and rub them together.

Massage the shampoo into his head. Work the shampoo into a lather by massaging his scalp with your fingertips from front to back.

Rinse his hair. You find that the best way to rinse it is to wet it the same way you did in Section 2 Step 1. You need to be sure to rinse completely to prevent his scalp from getting dry and itchy.

Condition his hair. You'll want to work conditioner through his hair, before you do a final rinse.

Wrap his hair in a towel. As you hold his head up, remove the trough from beneath it.

Wipe water from the head and neck. Using a washcloth, you can wipe away any excess water from the person.