Use a pet brush and start at the ends of the hair while holding the hair at the roots so it doesn't pull the skin. Usually the mitt won't be tangled really close to the skin. If it is tangled close to the skin use your fingers to work your way in towards the skin untangling as you go. I brush it out while it is drying doing a little at a time. It is so large it takes several days to dry, by he time it is completely dry you should have had plenty of time to untangle it and check for debris, all you will have to do is one last check and fluff it again so is poofy before storing it.