Ever looked down at your curling iron and flatiron and wondered why they aren't as effective at styling your hair as they used to be?
Perhaps it's because they're dirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty.
"Your heat-styling tools accumulate product build-up with repeated use," says editorial hairstylist Adam Markarian. "Heat causes residual product to transfer from your strands to the tools, and over time product accumulation definitely starts to affect the performance and longevity of your curlers and flatirons. Plus, you could start transferring old product back onto your hair, which is never a good thing!"
Regarding how often you should clean them, that depends on how often you use them. Every day? Clean them once a week. If you use them two or three times a week, once or twice a month is good enough.
To remove build-up from your curling irons and flatirons, wipe them down with alcohol pads. "Or try white vinegar," recommends Markarian. "Keep it in a spray bottle, and mist it directly on the tool from 6 to 8 inches away, then wipe the tools down with a cleaning rag. White vinegar has antibacterial benefits, which is great for eliminating bacteria and germs from your styling tools." (As if you need any of that on your hair!)
Markarian offers one more quick tip: Clean your styling tools while they're warm or lukewarm to ensure that the product build-up comes off quickly and easily. "If tools are left dirty and get cool, removing build-up may prove to be quite challenging, so be sure to unplug them and wait for them to cool down slightly so that they still have a little heat but are cool enough to handle."
Be honest: How often do you clean your heat-styling tools?