How to Clean a Hair Straightener in 7 Simple Steps
Flat irons are great and some of you may consider yourself pros in handling them. For days it served you well and kept you at arm’s length from bad hair days. Then the day comes when you notice that the straightener is not working as effectively as it used to. This is where you know that it is finally time to clean your flat iron.
When using your hair straightener, it gets hot. If you apply any hair product or oil in your hair immediately before using your flat iron, the hot plates may pick up some of the products. This can make the plates look uneven. The heat also spread unevenly. Severe build up may burn your hair upon further use of the flat iron.
Follow these steps if your flat iron needs cleaning.
- All the products and oils you used during the past few uses are fixed into the plates of your flat iron. Simply trying to rub them off will not do the trick. Heat the flat iron for a while and then leave it to cool. Make sure that it is just warm and safe to touch. This makes all the products stained on the plates looser.
- Remove the flat iron plug from the mains supply before you start cleaning. This is for safety purposes as you are going to apply water. Also make sure not to spill excess water on the plugs or the flat iron itself.
- Use a small piece of clean cloth, preferably terrycloth towel, and dip it in warm water. Once again the water should not be too hot or too cold but lukewarm. Use the damp cloth to gently rub on each plate where all the stains are. Use only one finger tip to do the job. Avoid cleaning with your nails as the tip or rubbing too hard on the ceramic plates. Doing so may put scratches on the surface and reduce the overall effectiveness of the flat iron.
- Keep wiping throughout the surface of the plates until no more grime is there. Cleaning the sides, nooks and crannies can be a little tricky, however. Stop and check to make sure you could reach the bottom ends of the ceramic plate to remove any grease from there. If the corners are too difficult to reach, then use a cotton swab and dip it in the warm water. Use the damp cotton swab to clean the corners.
- If you feel that the oiliness has soaked into your terrycloth, it is important to dump the cloth and use a fresher one. Or else no matter have much you smear the ceramic surface with the damp, oily cloththe surface will remain oily with no further signs of being successfully cleaned.
- It is absolutely not okay to use the flat iron right after you clean it. You have to give it time to completely dry up before you even think of using it again. Using a wet iron may not cause any spontaneous combustion, but it can still burn your hair beyond repair. Similarly, never use a flat iron on wet hair or else it will sizzle your hair to a crisp. Of course, there are risks of getting a bad electrocution too.To speed up the drying process, use a tissue to wipe off the wetness and leave it dry further.
- Clean your flat iron regularly to ensure effective usage. Repetitive cleaning can prevent buildup of all the products and oils you use and so the task will not be as tedious next time.