The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Your Hair Straightening Brush

Raise your hand if you’ve never cleaned your hair straightening brush.

I was guilty of committing the same crime back in the day. But I soon realized that mustering up the energy to clean my brushes is way better than discarding them within a few months.

The fact of the matter is that hair styling tools, like the Dyson Airwrap, need a proper clean-up to give you the results you’re looking for. Otherwise, you risk creating mounds of buildup between its bristles. Not only is the sight icky to look at but it’s prone to hinder the brush’s performance.

Plus, let’s not forget that all that buildup could lead to hair and scalp damage too.

In short, neglecting basic maintenance is a recipe for disaster. Thus, I took the initiative to start cleaning our styling tools religiously. And now I’m ready to impart this knowledge with you.

So what’s the best way to clean your hair straightening brush? You should use a small fiber cloth or brush to gently clean the base and bristles of your brush. Add cleaning solutions and warm water into the mix if your brush is extremely dirty. This helps remove any buildup that inevitably damages your brush or hair.

Now, without further ado let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of cleaning hair straightening brushes.

The Process: How to Clean a Hair Straightener Brush?

Fair warning―if you haven’t cleaned your brush for months then it’s bound to be dirty. This will make it harder for you to clean it the first time around. However, if you’ve only used it a couple of times then it simply requires a few gentle wipes with a fiber cloth/cleaning tool.

For the rest of you, I’ve created a step-by-step guide to ensure that your straightening brush gets proper treatment.

Here’s what you’ve got to do:

  1. Unplug your straightening brush and let it cool.
  2. Start untangling and removing strands that are stuck in your brush.
  3. Once they are removed, wipe it with a soft fiber cloth.
  4. You should dampen the cloth in warm water if you see too much residue.
  5. Make sure to thoroughly clean the spaces between the bristles and the bristles themselves.
  6. Continue cleaning it until you’re satisfied with the result.

What else?

Sometimes the mounds of hair and buildup are too stubborn. This might be because you haven’t cleaned the brush in months. Or, it’s because one of your hairstyling products leaves behind a sticky residue. In these cases, a simple water wash can’t clear away the dirt. So it’s better for you to use a safe cleaning solution suitable for styling tools.

That’s it! Your brush should look as good as new when you’re done with it.

The Reason: Why Should I Clean My Hair Straightening Brush?

Admit it. You’re still unconvinced about whether or not cleaning your hair straightening brush is that important. Am I right?

I used to have the same mindset until I found out the dangers of neglecting your brush. After that wakeup call, I feel that the benefits of cleaning your hair straightening brush are underrated.

For instance, brushes that have hair and residue stuck to it tend to drag your hair while you’re straightening it. This increases hair breakage and hinders its overall performance. So you end up with a pretty limp look instead of perfectly straight hair.

The other thing to consider is the risk of infections. The oily, sticky buildup plays the perfect host to bacteria and diseases. This increases the threat of scalp infections, itchiness and other kinds of hair damage.

The best way to prevent all this is to take time out of your busy schedule and get cleaning. Ultimately, your regular cleaning sessions will also help keep the brush in its prime condition. So you end up increasing its usage instead of being forced to throw it out within a year.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? So the next time you feel lazy about cleaning your styling tool, just think of it as an investment to your hair than a chore.

The Time: When Should You Clean Your Hair Straightening Brush?

The best strategy is to remove your broken hair strands and wipe it clean the brush on the same day you use it. However, I understand that this is not feasible for you if you’ve got a busy schedule.

So you should take some time out and clean it on a day when you don’t need the styling tool. It might be a day prior to using it or on the weekend when you’re planning to stay at home. This ensures that the brush is properly dry and ready to use before your styling session.

Otherwise, you’re prone to find cleaning residue left on the straightening brush when you’re using it.

How Often Should You Clean Your Hair Straightening Brush?

Experts recommend cleaning hot styling tools like a hair straightener twice a month. I believe that the same rules apply for a hair straightening brush. In fact, unlike a straightening rod, your brush is more likely to collect debris and hair within its bristles.

Therefore, it’s really important for you to clean the brush at least twice a month.

Moreover, if you regularly use hairstyling products like hairsprays then it’s crucial for you to clean it on thrice a month. That’s because hairsprays leave traces of harmful chemicals and alcohol behind that can harm your hair.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got more questions? I’ve got some answers. I have narrowed down the top three questions every first-time cleaner has in mind.

Let’s have a look:

What Are Some Major Mistakes to Avoid While Cleaning the Brush?

I’ve already discussed the proper way to clean your hair straightening brush. Yet, if you’re ever in doubt use this checklist to make sure that you’re doing it right.

Let’s have a look:

  • Always unplug the brush when you’re cleaning it.
  • Don’t clean the brush when it’s hot.
  • Never use hard materials like metals or toothbrush to clean the brush as they are prone to scratch/break the surface of the brush.
  • Make sure to thoroughly wipe away the cleaning solution after cleaning the brush.

Can I Use My Brush Right After I Clean It?

The rule of the thumb is that you shouldn’t use contact styling tools on wet hair. That’s because the moisture has a negative effect on the tool. It also increases the risk of hair damage. The same rule applies to wet styling tools.

So you should never use the brush right after you clean it. That’s because it might still have some cleaning residue left on the surface. The best strategy is to use it a day after you clean the brush.

What if styling your hair that day is necessary? Then the first thing you have to do is let it dry for at least 30 minutes. Then turn on your brush and let it heat up for a few minutes. This will allow the leftover residue to burn away under the high temperature. Thus, it is made safe for use after.

When Should You Replace Your Hair Straightening Brush?

Let’s get one thing straight―buying a hair straightening brush is a big investment. This is especially true for ladies who are on a tight budget. So it’s natural for you to hope that the hair straightening brush lasts forever. We have put together a few buying guides if you need to get a new one:

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However, clinging to a tool that’s way past its warranty date is a major no-no. That’s because with time the styling tool starts overheating. This might damage your hair. Plus, there comes a time when despite all your cleaning sessions the brush fails to get thoroughly cleaned.

Thus, you should only keep the brush for a year or two longer than its manufacturer’s warranty. Typically this means around 2-3 years. But this is only applicable to ladies who take the effort to maintain and clean their hair straightening brush. That’s because regularly cleaning the brush helps increase its lifespan.

Pro tip: Missing bristles and ball tips are tell-tale signs of a damaged hair straightening brush. So chuck it out before it causes any trouble!

Let’s Sum It Up…

Long story short, if you love your hair straightening brush then you shouldn’t skip its cleaning schedule. It’s a simple wipe and wash process that takes less than an hour to do. And making this effort in brush maintenance helps you in the long run. It improves your straightening brush’s performance, increases its lifespan and prevents damaging your hair. So it’s basically a win-win situation for both you and the brush.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to kick start your cleaning ritual!