Fashion

The Best Way To Clean Your Curling Iron

by Sienna Fantozzi

You may not necessarily think of your hair appliances as needing much maintenance, but given that they're touching your hair on the regs, it's probably a good idea to make sure they're clean so you aren't getting anything gross on your hair (and end up having to wash it any sooner than necessary!). Not sure how to clean your curling iron? Don't worry — it's totally simple, and you probably already have everything you need to do so lying around your house. So now you have no excuse not to, right?

So first of all, if your iron doesn't look or feel dirty, how often should you be cleaning? About once a month is a good estimate, though feel free to polish it up more often if the urge strikes you. You probably know by common sense that you should not clean your curling iron by running it under water if it's on/recently turned off/has any warmth to it whatsoever, because it can totally damage it and then you'll end up having to buy a new one. Not fun. But you don't even want to submerge a cool iron in water, because water can get in the cracks in the barrel and cause rust.

If you're avoiding running it under water, then how should you clean it?

The easiest way is with rubbing alcohol and a washcloth. That will get rid of any product buildup that could be getting on your hair, and won't risk damage to the appliance.

Swan Rubbing Alcohol, $7, Amazon

Just make sure to apply the alcohol when the iron is off and cool.

Images: Fotolia; Amazon