How To Clean A Flat Iron?

Flat iron

No girl wants to look ugly just because of her hair. It is one of the most beautiful features of any girl, making her slay in any look. There are several styling tactics for achieving the perfect look. One commonly used beauty product for styling hair is the flat iron. The flat iron is a must-have for every girl!

It produces heat to flat and tame the frizz and curls, to give a smoother and shinier look. Using a flat iron for styling hair is one of the easiest ways to look great by making it curly or wavy. But, what happens after you use a flat iron?

The next part is taking care of this ultimate hair styling product. Most people find their flat iron is not working as effectively after some use. The reason is the buildup on the plates of your flat iron, which you need to clean.

Why Should You Clean Your Flat Iron?

How to clean the flat iron is a very common and popular question. If your flat iron isn’t working like before and the results are not satisfying, you must check the plates. So, it is important to know how to clean your flat iron, so that it can work like before!

Experts recommend using several oils and heat protectants to prevent your hair from any damage due to heat. Moreover, they give your hair a better, smooth, and shiny look. But, as you use it on your hair before using a flat iron, the iron plates suffer from all those products’ buildup. If you don’t clean them after a particular duration, your flat iron will not respond to you like usual.

Furthermore, it can cause damage to your hair, causing split ends and result in uneven straightening. Hence, to enjoy the benefits of this popular hair product, you need to learn how to clean it. The buildup and residue on the plates, will not only mess up your hair but also gradually damage the flat iron itself.

The plates will start losing their efficiency, and you will face low heating or insufficient heat to straighten. Sometimes, the heating power gets better, but the plates don’t work the way they used to be. If you want your flat iron to have a longer useful life, don’t forget to clean it properly every few days or even regularly.

Most people ask how to clean flat iron, but some are confused about how to deal with the buildup. Some might assume that if no heat resistant products or oils before ironing hair are being used, then there is no need to clean the plates. It’s important to understand that our hair is comprised of protein, and we lose that protein during heating processes. So, the fact is that even if you didn’t use anything before the straightening process, your plates would still be having buildup after a few days because of your natural hair protein.

How To Clean A Flat Iron?

Beautiful and silky hair is the dream of all girls. It’s just that we can’t help it. Using a flat iron has become a part of our lives, but we should never ignore the importance of taking care of it. Cleaning a flat iron requires some efforts to make it work like new. You can do general cleaning weekly and if the mess is disturbing you, go for a proper way to clean your flat iron plates.

Usual Cleaning:

You can frequently perform general cleaning as it doesn’t require chemicals. It is a simple way to clean your straightener without any harm.

  • Begin with heating your straightener. Plugin your favorite straightener and set on the lowest to let it heat up for a few minutes. As the flat iron will turn hot, all the buildup will be easier to remove.
  • The next step is to unplug the iron and turn off the switch. Place your hot flat iron on a heat resistant mat or some towel to let it cool down for a few seconds. Avoid placing it on surfaces like sink and slabs as it can burn them.
  • After waiting for a couple of seconds, give it a touch to check whether it is good to wipe or not. If it is cooled enough, use a damp cloth with warm water to clean off the dirt and residue from the plates and vice versa.
  • Once you start cleaning, you will feel the difference. Don’t forget to touch only when it is slightly warm, or else you will harm your hands.
  • Clean from all the sides of your iron to make sure it is correctly done. Once you have completed your flat iron’s necessary cleaning, you should now use a professional cleaning solution to prevent damages and clean it properly. These solutions are readily available in beauty supply stores and are perfect for the cleaning of hairstyling products.

Professional cleaning

As you are now well-aware of the basic and essential cleaning tips, you should now consider how to clean your flat iron professionally with simple tips. The basic cleaning is for routine cleanup, but the professional one is needed when you feel your flat iron is not working correctly. So here is how to clean your flat iron quickly!

1.       Rubbing

For an actual cleanup, you need to start by rubbing your flat iron plates. Take some cotton balls or soft cloth and alcohol.

Now, soak these balls or soft cloth into the alcohol and rub the plates gently. For corners and tips, use q-tip. Once you are done with rubbing, clean these plates again with a clean cloth using warm water.

2.       Make the paste

Now you need to make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Take about a half cup of baking soda into a bit of hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Mix well and use this paste on the plates with the help of your fingers. Rub it on your flat iron so that all the gunky buildup is removed. This solution helps in removing all the buildup.

3.       Scrubbing

As we all need scrubbing in some part of our life for exfoliation, it is now your flat iron’s turn. Use your old toothbrush with soft bristles, as they are highly effective. But if you don’t have a magic eraser, a toothbrush still does wonders for you. Scrub the paste over those plates with a toothbrush to get rid of tough spots or stains.

4.       Applying Creams

When the scrubbing and cleaning are done, you need to relax your flat iron just like you do with your curly hair. Yes, you read it right! You can clean and relax that flat iron with a cream relaxer. Apply it to the plates and turn on the switch to let it heat up for a few minutes. Please turn it off after that and leave it to cool. Lastly, clean the flat iron with a clean and moist cloth to remove the cream and any possible residue if left.

Other cleaning Ways

These were the ways to keep your flat iron clean and active. You can also go for any step separately if the buildup is not so intense. Moreover, if you take care of your device daily, you won’t need advanced cleaning frequently. Do one thing, whenever you use your flat iron, clean it with a moist cloth after use, to remove the stains and spots of your beauty products. Vinegar is also a good option for getting rid of buildups. Heat your flat iron, then leave it for a few seconds to get it back to being warm. Now, pour some vinegar on it and clean with a damp cloth or hand towel. As an option, you can also use a nail polish remover for cleaning the plates.

Final verdict

It is important to know how to maintain and clean your flat iron, especially if you use it frequently and haven’t cleaned it before. You can go for regular cleaning, but if you are busy, do professional cleaning of your flat iron once a while to get the best results. This ensures you to enjoy a longer life of your iron.