How To Clean A Flat Iron?

Introduction:

Don’t we love our flat irons for straightening our hair to look attractive? These are very helpful and valuable hair tools that come in handy. Whenever we tire of the curls, we switch them up for a more straight hair look. We pick up flat irons to do this job for us.
The flat iron is a wonderful purchase you won’t regret because it produces the best results. However, the results of this tool depend on your usage and care.
It’s not only how to use it but, more importantly, how to protect it from germs and use it effectively. To achieve healthy, shiny, and breathtaking hair, you need to clean your flat iron regularly. But sometimes, it couldn’t perform well because frequent usage causes build-ups and residue. So, in this article, we will learn how to clean hair straighteners.

Why do you need to clean flat iron?

As we know, every appliance needs to be cleaned/washed or maintained for proper functioning. The same is true for a flat iron, which needs to be cleaned to avoid build-ups from by-products that affect its working. Furthermore, these build-ups may become homes for harmful bacteria, which may cause health issues for the hair. Experts say these build-ups may cause uneven heat distribution. Ultimately, continuous heat is required, and it also causes hair damage. Further studies found that uncleaned flat iron that has build-ups has a sufficient amount of harmful bacteria.
Therefore, it is crucial to clean your flat iron after every use to ensure that it functions properly and shines through your hair.

How to clean a flat Iron (step-by-step guide)

Part 1: General cleaning

Below is one of the easiest and highly recommended methods of cleaning a flat iron. We have summarized it for you in a step-by-step guide. You can follow the steps and clean your flat iron easily.

Step 1: Heat the flat iron

To begin with, how to clean flat irons, you need to heat the flat irons. To heat, you need to use the lowest setting of the heater, which is sufficient for cleaning purposes. Heating is required because heating the metal helps remove the external elements or product build-ups. Therefore, heating is required to start the process.

Step 2: Unplug the flat iron

When the flat iron is sufficiently warm to start the cleaning process, unplug it and make sure it is disconnected from the power source.

Step 3: Clean the plates

This is the last and most crucial step for how to clean a straightener. Before starting this process, you must take safety measures as the flat iron is hot. Now grab your warm, unplugged flat iron and scrub it gently with a soft towel. You can use cotton rounds dipped in water or alcohol. Alcohol is considered good for flat iron cleaner purposes because it deeply penetrates.

If you haven’t cleaned before, using professional solutions is better.

Suppose you haven’t performed the cleaning of a flat iron before, even though you have used it dozens of times. In that case, it’s better to use professional cleaning solutions developed for hairstyling tools.

Part 2: Removing build-ups and stains

You can use a newspaper.

Yes, you can clean your flat iron with newspapers. First, you need to heat the iron on the highest setting. Gather some newspaper and wear oven gloves to protect your hands from heat exposure. Now rub the newspaper over the iron plate. This way, you can remove stains and build-up from your flat iron.

Using an acetone nail polish remover is another method behind how to clean straighteners.

Cleaning with acetone nail polish remover is one of the best ways to clean a flat iron’s dirtiness. Turn on the iron and let it heat up. Then immerse a cotton ball in acetone nail polish remover.
With gloves on, quickly place the wet cotton ball on the hot surface. By doing this, the acetone in the nail polish remover will evaporate. It does an impressive job of dissolving any dirt. Now wipe the surface with water and a cloth. The flat iron is clean!

Clean your flat iron with a toothbrush or Magic Eraser.

Another method for cleaning a flat iron is to use a gentle abrasive like a toothbrush or magic eraser. Rub the toothbrush gently over the tough spots, such as joints between plastic and plate, to remove the dirt. Magic erasers combine melamine, formaldehyde, sodium bisulfite, and water, which help remove dirt easily.

How often to clean your flat iron?

It is a common understanding that using an uncleaned flat iron with build-up won’t work properly and uses more energy. This energy or heat damages your hair and wouldn’t straighten as it should. Therefore, it’s recommended by renowned hair stylists to clean the hair straightener after every use. If you can’t clean it after usage, you must clean it whenever you see residue and build-up on the plate.

Conclusion:

No matter what type or brand your flat iron is, it’s important to take care of it for smooth and efficient working.
For those who find it difficult to clean their flat irons, you need to clean one side at a time. Then repeat the same process for the other side, and you will have cleaned your flat iron.
For those who struggle with flat iron cleaning, all you need to do is clean one plate (one side) at a time, repeat the process for the other plate, and you’re done.
Remember, cleaning a flat iron requires safety precautions to avoid any accidents. It would be best to take all safety precautions, like unplugging it and using heat protection gloves while cleaning it.
We hope you have the answers and know how to clean your flat iron.