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Keep Your Styling Tools Clean For Healthier Hair And Easier Styling

Do you know those styling tools that you reach for every day to help you create all manner of hair styles? When was the last time that you cleaned them? And no, we don’t mean pulling a few stray hairs out of your hairbrush- we mean really taking the time to wash and deep clean them. Chances are that you’re like most other people and haven’t even given it any thought because no one ever told you that it needed to be done. Today we’re going to tell you why you need to give your styling tools a bit of TLC and how to do it.

 

Care Of Hairbrushes And Combs

So, why isn’t removing the hair from your brush not enough to keep it clean? Just take a look down inside the bristles of a favorite hairbrush that you’ve had for a while. You’ll find all kinds of dirt and debris that consists of flakes of the scalp, bits of broken hair, dirt, dust, lint, oil buildup, and product residue. It’s the perfect environment for germs and fungus that could harm the health of your hair and scalp. Ideally, you should clean them once a week to keep them dirt and germ-free.

 

To clean these items you first need to remove all of the loose hair and debris that you can with your fingers. Use a long thin instrument, a wide-toothed comb, or even a fork to slide between the bristles and pull up all of the deeper-down dirt that your fingers can’t reach. Some of the hairs may be quite entangled, so take your time and be sure to get it all out without damaging the bristles. If you find damaged or loose bristles while cleaning just go ahead and toss the brush and replace it. Damaged bristles can damage your hair. Next, fill a basin with warm water mixed with a small amount of clarifying shampoo. Place your combs and brushes in the water to soak. Any wood or boar bristle brushes should simply be hand washed as soaking can damage these natural materials. Using an old toothbrush scrub the combs and brushes all over making sure to get in between all of the teeth and bristles. After a good rinse lay on a clean towel to air dry with the bristles facing down so that all the water can drain away easily.

 

Cleaning Heated Styling Tools

You’ve probably never thought about cleaning your curling irons and flat irons, but they need regular wipedowns too. Over time product residue can build up on these appliances, and this sticky buildup snags and breaks your hair as it passes through. It can also even burn your strands, so it’s super important to prevent this buildup from happening. Cleaning them well about once per month should do the trick.

 

Before you start make sure that they are cool and unplugged. Moisten a cloth with water and wipe everything down paying careful attention to the barrels, clamps, and heat plates that come in direct contact with your hair. If there is some especially stubborn buildup that doesn’t want to come off, a little rubbing alcohol on your cloth should help cut through it. Allow these tools to air dry completely before using them again. Your hair should slide through smoothly now.

 

How To Clean A Blow Dryer

Unless your hair dryer is pretty new the vents in the back are likely clogged with dust and debris. This hinders the airflow and shortens the life of your blow dryer as well as reduces the airflow which makes it take longer to dry your hair. Giving yours a good cleaning every month can keep it working like new for a long time to come.

 

To clean those vents and filters in the back you probably need to remove the cover. They usually just twist off, but you can check your owner’s manual for cleaning instructions if the cover doesn’t come off easily. The filters should then pop out so that you can give them a gentle scrub with a soft brush, rinse them, and then allow them to air dry. While the filters are drying you should wipe the rest of the dryer down with a damp cloth to remove any dust and product residue from the housing. Once everything is dry put it all back together and enjoy your like-new hair dryer.

 

Now that your home styling tools are in tip-top working order, come see the talented stylists at The Full Spectrum Hair Salon and show your strands a little extra love as well. Give us a call at 972.509.1565 or download our free mobile app from iTunes or Google Play to schedule your haircut or styling appointment today. We look forward to seeing you soon at 305 E Farm to Market Rd 544, #911 in Murphy.