How to clean a curling iron.
You should do it quite often because on the hair curler, it often accumulates oils and other sprays and other things on its heating surfaces.
In addition to the fact that the curling iron looks greasy, dirt can also cause uneven heating of the platters, and, accordingly, make bad curls and poorly strengthen your hair.
If a lot of this substance will be accumulated in the curling iron, then this can even cause damage to your hair. Cleaning the iron can be quite challenging due to the V-shape and flat metal surfaces of the heaters, but it is possible.
Important to know
- Make sure your iron is turned off and unplugged before cleaning.
- Keep the plug away from liquids, and never immerse your curling iron completely in water.
- Keep the heated curling iron out of the reach of children.
- Do not use household cleaners. They can scratch the surface of the plate for straightening.
Step-by-step instructions on how to clean your curling iron
1. Warm-up a little bit the curling iron or heat it well and slightly cold. It should be warm, but not too hot to the touch.
2. Unplug the iron before cleaning.
3. Damp a Small terry towel in mellow water. Do not use hot water or cold. It should be just mild. With your finger, gently wipe one plate in the place where there is dirt. Avoid sharp movements on ceramic platters, so you do not scratch or ruin them.
4.Wipe the platters thoroughly, and be sure to remove all dirt from them. You can use a cloth swab if it is hard to remove dirt from the corners with a towel.
5. Also, clean the iron itself from hair products and dirt. Use the fresh side of the towel as needed.
6. Before use, be sure to wait until the iron is completely dry. Never use the iron while it is wet. This is not dangerous, you just can’t do this for the same reason that you can’t straighten damp hair, you can simply damage or burn them. If you need a curling iron right now, then simply wipe the platters with a dry terry towel.
7. To ensure that your iron is not very dirty, clean it regularly. After you curl or straighten your hair, use a paper or ordinary towel. Moisten it with mellow water or alcohol and wipe the already cooled platters to remove the hairstyling product. Do this every time after straightening, and then you will keep away from the accumulation of dirt.
Suggestions
If you use your hair flattener, be sure to wipe it completely, not just the plates themselves.
If the coating is so dense and burned so badly that you cannot clean it, then do not try to scrape your iron with all the force, but take it to your stylist. Usually, stylists have a special tool for cleaning irons. Ask him to spray this product on your iron, so as not to buy a whole bottle of this product.
Use a little alcohol mixed with mellow water for cleaning tough spots.
What you need to clean a curling iron
- Small terry towel
- Mellow water
- Curling Hair
- (Optional) cotton swab
- (Optional) medical alcohol

Hints For Cleaning Curling Iron LIke a Pro
You have probably noticed many times that your curling iron turns sticky and greasy after several uses, especially if hairspray or other styling products were used. If your hair-styling device looks like a burnt baking sheet, it definitely needs proper care!
No wonder curling iron can be like this since our natural oils that the scalp produces, and various products (e.g. hairspray or mousse) create a sticky film on the iron barrel. But don’t stress! We know several super-effective tricks to make your iron shine again!
- Baking soda is your savior!
Yes, you got it right! Ordinary baking soda that we use for baking cakes and cookies! Since it is a very effective but at the same time gentle rubbing agent, it will delete all the grease and leftovers of hairspray and other products easily.

Just add a bit of water to the soda powder until it becomes a paste-like consistency, and then apply this soda treatment all over the barrel generously. No need for rubbing vigorously, simply wipe the barrel until it shines again!
In addition, baking soda is safe to use since it doesn’t damage the surface of the iron.
- Rubbing alcohol for hard grease
If you need to fight some extremely stubborn dirty marks from hairspray or other styling products, go for rubbing alcohol. It may turn to be a slightly more aggressive agent compared to the baking soda, but it does work perfectly, especially for daily maintenance.
No hard rubbing is needed when using rubbing alcohol which is a big plus, just pour some of the product to the soft cloth and wipe the barrel of the iron thoroughly to delete the traces of hairspray or whatever you used before.
Never-to-Do Things When Cleaning Sticky Curling Iron
Since we already figured out how to cleanse the film that hairspray leaves on our curling iron, let’s now talk about what we can do to prevent such unpleasant and time-consuming trouble from happening again.
- If you use a lot of hairspray or other styling products (especially daily), remember to cleanse your curling iron after each use. Rubbing alcohol will be the best option in this case.
- Never use aggressive cleaning products to keep your device neat and clean since they can damage the surface of the barrel which may lead to burns on your hair and scalp!
- Never use harsh scrubbing products and/or tools to clean the curling iron barrel!
- If you’re about to use some hairspray to fix your curls, remember to apply it before you start curling the locks. Like this, you’ll avoid burning strands and the barrel will be free from the sticky hairspray film longer.
Now that you know how to deal with all sorts of grease and dirt, and when to use hair styling products together with your curling iron (e.g. hairspray), we hope that your device will serve you much longer!
How do you clean a rusty curling iron? I noticed that stuff recently and no matter how I tried, I couldn’t get rid of it. Maybe some of you managed to succeed?
Hi! Try lemon juice and baking soda. You’ll need to soak a cloth with lemon juice, wrap the iron barrel in it, and leave it for 15 min. After you rinse the barrel, make a baking soda paste (just add a bit of water) and apply it onto the barrel. Wash off with a damp rag. Remember that the iron must be cold!
How do I get sticky residue off my curling iron? I tried washing it but water doesn’t seem to work pretty well. Even soap didn’t help. Thanks for any suggestions!
Hello! I once tried baking soda and it worked. You’ll need to take a wet cloth, put a generous amount of soda on it, and rub it around the iron until the debris starts getting off. I’d recommend taking harsh cloth that’s not too soft to have a better effect.
Hey everyone! Please give me a hint on the following issue. How do you remove buildup from a curling iron? I tried hot water, soap, and even laundry detergent but they didn’t work much. Do you have any other suggestions on what could help?
Hi there! Did you try nail polish remover? Seriously! I used it a couple of times and it worked great! 10 minutes and the iron look like new. But if you’re afraid that it can damage the iron barrel, go for less harmful means like baking soda, or lemon juice. P.S. To prevent any residue from appearing, try to treat your iron with rubbing alcohol, it will make your life easier, I can tell you that!
Why does my curling iron smell? I don’t get it! It’s not like the smell of something burnt like rubber or plastic but the odor is really weird. Did anyone have the same problem here?
A bad smell from your curling iron can be explained by the hair oils, dirt that comes from our locks and ends up on the barrel, and of course, the styling products.
We recommend you to wipe the barrel with rubbing alcohol each time after you use the device (note that the iron must be absolutely cold!).
Why is my curling iron handle sticky? I’m serious, no joking! It feels like I’ve been touching it with hands covered with jam or something! Have you ever seen anything like this? How to fight that stickiness?
Hey there!
I assume it happens because natural oils and grease from our hands are transferred to the handle. Since it is mostly made of rubber or silicone, it intakes any dirt easily.
I usually wipe the handle of my iron and other styling stuff either with rubbing alcohol or with the ordinary nail polish remover. Works well and fast!
Hi! Please, advise me on something! How do I stop my hair from smelling burnt after curling? I can’t do anything to get rid of it! Each time I use the iron my hair smells like a burnt dog!
Hi there!
Did you try to turn down the heat on your device? Maybe, it’s just too hot?
If it doesn’t work, then try to use any heat-protecting products.
As an option, pulverize any good-smelling hair or body mist on your comb/brush and brush the locks after using an iron.