How to Clean a Flat Iron: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

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Co-authored byJenny Tran

Last Updated: November 27, 2022ReferencesApproved

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   Plug in your iron and turn it on. Plug in your flat iron, put it on the lowest heat setting, and let it heat up for a couple of minutes. The heat will help loosen up any buildup or grime that may be on the iron, which will make it much easier to clean effectively.^[1]

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   Unplug your iron and turn it off. Let your flat iron cool on a heat-resistant mat or hand towel for about 5 minutes after you’ve turned it off and unplugged it from the outlet. Don’t set your flat iron directly on the counter or on the edge of the sink because it could burn these surfaces.^[2]

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   Wipe the flat iron down with a damp cloth or paper towel. While your flat iron is still cooling down, hold your hand about an inch above the flat iron to determine if it has cooled off enough to touch safely. Once it feels slightly warm to the touch, lightly dampen a washcloth or paper towel with warm water. Wipe all surfaces of the iron to complete a basic cleaning.^[3]

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   Use a professional cleaning solution if you've never cleaned your iron before. Beauty supply stores carry many different professional cleaning products created specifically for hairstyling tools. If you’ve used your flat iron hundreds of times and this is your first time cleaning it, you may want to use a professional cleaning solution in order to complete a more general cleaning successfully.^[4]

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1. 

   See Also

   Curling Iron/Hair StraightenerWaste Wizard Recyclopedia — Larchmont - Mamaroneck Sanitation Commission

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   Rub down the iron with alcohol and a cotton ball. First, make sure that the flat iron is completely cooled off and soak a couple cotton balls in rubbing alcohol. Wipe the flat iron with your cotton balls and use a q-tip to clean nooks and crannies. After doing this, lightly moisten a clean cloth with water and wipe your flat iron again.^[5]

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   Make a baking soda and hydrogen peroxide paste. Put about ¼ cup of baking soda in a bowl. Then, squirt in hydrogen peroxide and mix the two until the mixture resembles paste. Rub the paste onto the flat iron with your fingers to remove gunky buildup of hairspray and other hair products.^[6]

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   Scrub your flat iron with a toothbrush or Magic Eraser. Using a gentle abrasive, such as a toothbrush or magic eraser, gently scrub tough spots, including the lip between the plastic and the plate.^[7] Magic erasers contain a combination of melamine, formaldehyde, sodium bisulfite, and water, which make easy removal possible.^[8]

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   Apply relaxer to your flat iron. Cream relaxers are typically used to chemically straighten curly hair, but they can be used to clean your flat iron as well. In order to clean your flat iron with a relaxer, do the following:

   • While the flat iron is unplugged, apply an even layer of the cream to the flat iron plates.
   • Plug the iron in and leave it on for about 10-15 minutes.
   • Turn the flat iron off, let it cool completely, and then remove the relaxer with a washcloth moistened by water.^[9]

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