When it comes to washing our beauty tools, even though we know better sometimes we just can't quite motivate ourselves to get the job done—we're looking at you, make-up brushes. Well, what about your best hair straighteners? We can bet that they're likely not getting the attention that they deserve when it comes to hygiene.
You might not have even known that they need cleaning. In fact, "it turns out very few of us actually take the time to clean our straighteners," says Ricky Walters, founder of Salon64.
If they have been a little neglected and you’re not sure where to start, fear not. We’ve called in the experts to give us the lowdown on everything you need to know about keeping your hair straighteners in tip-top shape. For more inspiration, don't forget to check out our guide to the best GHD hair straighteners and our in-depth review of the Dyson hair straightener.
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Why do we need to clean hair straighteners?
Before we dive in, you might be wondering why we even need to clean straighteners in the first place. Essentially, it’s the same reason we wash our hair brushes (yes, you need to clean your hair brush too!) and make-up brushes—oil, dirt and product build-up.
Think about it: you’ve just freshly washed your hair, spritzed some heat protector through it and rough-dried it to perfection. Then, you run your hair straighteners through your lengths, which contain months worth of oils and old product build-up. You’re turning your freshly cleansed hair into grease-laden lengths—not ideal.
Not to mention, if the straightener's ceramic plates are covered in debris, they’re just not going to do their job as well as they should—and could even snag the hair as you pull it through the plates.
How to clean hair straighteners?
Step one is to please, please, please make sure that your straighteners are turned off and completely cooled. We definitely don’t want any cleaning-inflicted burns. Once you have avoided all possibility of burning yourself, there are three areas to clean on your tool: the edges, plates and wire.
Cleaning the plates
Starting with the plates, Walters recommends using some dry kitchen roll, or a microfibre cloth to wipe them down gently. "It’s important not to spray anything too harsh on the plates," he says. If you think you need something a little more than a swipe, Adam Reed, founder of Arkive Headcare, uses a tiny bit of shampoo on a cloth and gives them a scrub.
However, if they are really dirty, or you're a hair pro and use them on lots of clients, you might need something a little extra. Hairstylist and hair extensions specialist Abigail Butler says you might need an alcohol-based product. "Never use water or a water-based product, as this can drip into the back of your plates and destroy your straighteners," she adds, so be careful. For pros in a rush, Abigail recommends carrying around "small sterile alcohol wipes individually wrapped for skin and medical use."
If the plates are incredibly dirty, you can even use nail polish remover—but be careful. "Pour a bit onto the pad and wipe down your ceramic plates and the cover of the straighteners too" says Butler.
Cleaning the edges
Next up is the edges, which is where you’ll find most of the leftover dirt lurking. "You may find the edges of your irons caked in grease and old product, which is often baked in from the heat," says Walters. For this step, you’ll need some cotton buds. "Using a cotton bud, go around the edges and perimeters, wiping clean old gunk," he recommends. "You'll be shocked at what you find gets removed!"
Cleaning the wire
Finally, the wire, which is so often forgotten. "Not one we often think of, but the cable to our straighteners is often filthy!" warns Walters. The wires get dirty pretty quickly due to running hands through hair that contains oil and working product through our hands and touching the cable. "Not every time, but on occasion, it's important to deep clean your irons not forgetting the important cable clean," he adds. You can do this by running a damp cloth with water over the entire wire or using some antibacterial spray if you find there’s a lot of grease and grime.
How often should I clean my hair straighteners?
How often you clean your straighteners depends on a few factors. If you’re a professional hairstylist, you should be cleaning them far more than someone who straightens their hair at home a couple of times a month.
Hair pros should use their judgement on how often to clean their tools, but for straighteners being used often, every two weeks is a good rule of thumb. For at-home use on yourself, every three months is enough to keep your straighteners in top condition.