Beauty Tips & Life Hacks, Salon Tips

How to Clean Hair Tools: Hair Dryer Filter, Curling Iron, Flat Iron and Clippers

GA.MA iQ Sfera hair dryer, BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium curling iron and BaBylissPRO COREFX clipper and trimmer set
25 Sep
Reading time: 7 min

Here is how to clean hair tools: unplug them and let them cool, clear lint from the dryer filter, wipe product residue off iron plates with a damp cloth, and brush and oil clipper blades. Never put a hair tool in water. Below: makers’ steps, advice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the EPA, and California’s salon rule.

Key takeaways

  • Unplug and cool every tool first. BaBylissPRO warns that a plugged-in tool is live even when it’s switched off.
  • Keep the dryer filter clean. BaBylissPRO says clogged vents make a dryer overheat.
  • Wipe cool, unplugged iron plates with a damp cloth, and skip aggressive cleaners (GA.MA).
  • Brush, sanitize and oil clipper blades each time you use them, as Wahl directs.
  • California salons must remove debris from clippers, dryers and irons and disinfect them before each use with an EPA-registered spray or wipe (16 CCR §§ 977, 980).

Before you clean: unplug it and let it cool

GA.MA, BaBylissPRO and BaByliss all say to unplug the tool and let it cool before cleaning. The CPSC warned in 1982 that if a plugged-in dryer falls into water, the water may be electrified whether the switch is on or off.

  • Never soak a tool. BaBylissPRO and GA.MA both say to keep their tools out of water and other liquids.
  • If a tool falls into water, don’t reach in. Unplug it first (CPSC, BaBylissPRO).
  • Cordless clippers: switch the tool off before you remove the blade (BaBylissPRO).

How to clean a hair dryer filter

The filter keeps lint, hair and dust out of the motor. BaBylissPRO says clogged air intakes make a dryer overheat until a safety device shuts off the dryer or its heat, and GA.MA says dirt buildup damages the motor and shortens the dryer’s life. BaBylissPRO’s routine:

  1. Unplug the dryer and let it cool.
  2. Brush dust and lint off the air intake with a small brush or a vacuum’s brush attachment.
  3. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth only.
  4. If the dryer shut itself off, let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes and make sure the vents are clean before you restart it.

For its iQ Sfera, which has removable filters, GA.MA says to unplug the dryer, replace the disposable fabric filter, and rinse the magnetic metal filter under running water from the inside out, without detergents. Let it dry completely; never run the dryer without its filters. GA.MA suggests a self-cleaning cycle after each use and a new fabric filter every 7 working days in a salon, or monthly at home. Salon sprays can clog a filter that looks clean, GA.MA notes, so hold it up to the light.

Check the plug, too

Federal rules treat a hand-held hair dryer without built-in immersion protection as a substantial product hazard (16 CFR 1120.3); the CPSC says the protection sits in a block-shaped plug with a circuit interrupter. If your plug has a Test button, BaBylissPRO says to press it before every use: the dryer should stop and the Reset button should pop out. If the test fails, or the dryer has been in water, have it serviced. Never use any dryer where it could touch water (CPSC).

How to clean a curling iron or flat iron without scratching it

Heat transfers hair color, treatments, mousse, sprays and waxes from your hair onto plates and barrels, GA.MA’s manuals say. BaByliss says clean plates glide more smoothly.

  1. Unplug the iron and let it cool completely.
  2. Wipe the plates or barrel with a damp cloth. GA.MA recommends doing this after each use.
  3. Don’t use aggressive cleaners on plates or barrels (GA.MA).
  4. Let the iron dry completely before you plug it in again (GA.MA, BaByliss).

No oil needed: BaBylissPRO says its irons need no lubrication. Go easy on styling product, too; K18, for example, says to start small with HeatBounce and build as needed. See our guide to how to use heat protectant.

How to clean, disinfect and oil clipper blades

Wahl’s instructions for its 5-Star Legend clipper give the routine for every use: brush, sanitize, oil.

  1. Turn the clipper off, or unplug it (BaBylissPRO).
  2. Brush hair and debris out of the blades (Wahl, BaBylissPRO).
  3. Sanitize the blades with a disinfectant, following its label (Wahl).
  4. Oil the blades. BaBylissPRO’s FXX3T trimmer manual says to point the tool down and away from you, put a drop of oil on the front and sides of the cutting blade, and wipe off the excess. Wahl first runs the clipper to spread the oil.
  5. Store the clipper so the blades stay protected (BaBylissPRO).

The FXX3T manual says to oil before and after every use, and that skipping regular cleaning and oiling voids the warranty. Follow your own clipper’s manual.

Why disinfect? After scalp ringworm cases rose among young men in Copenhagen in 2024, Danish researchers found the fungus Trichophyton tonsurans in 5 of 122 clipper samples and 3 of 11 cleaning-brush samples from local salons. They called for thorough disinfection of tools between every customer. Use a disinfectant exactly as its label says, wear gloves, and wash your hands afterward (EPA).

How to store hair tools and cords safely

  • Don’t wrap the cord around the tool. BaBylissPRO says wrapping or twisting damages the cord where it enters the tool and can cause a short circuit; GA.MA agrees.
  • Unplug by the plug, not the cord, and never hang a tool by its cord (GA.MA).
  • Check the cord often. Stop using a tool if the cord looks damaged or the tool cuts in and out (BaBylissPRO).
  • Let it cool out of children’s reach, then store it dry and never where it can fall or be pulled into a sink or tub (GA.MA, BaBylissPRO, CPSC).

Research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2023 conference found that curling irons and hair curlers caused nearly all hair-tool burns among people 24 and younger seen in U.S. emergency departments from 2013 to 2022, and that most of those hurt were young children. For a minor burn, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says to cool it in cool tap water for about 10 minutes, apply petroleum jelly, cover it with a nonstick bandage and leave blisters alone. Go to the emergency room for a large or severe burn, or a burn on an infant or older adult.

When to replace a hair tool

  • Damage: BaBylissPRO says not to use a tool with a damaged cord or plug, or one that has been dropped, damaged or dropped in water, or isn’t working properly. Don’t repair it yourself. A dryer that fails its Test/Reset check also goes back to the place of purchase.
  • No immersion protection: in 2025 the CPSC told consumers to stop using, and destroy, certain hair dryers sold on DHGate.com that lacked it. Our suggestion: retire any hand-held dryer without a block-shaped safety plug.
  • Worn clipper blades: Wahl says to replace blades that are dull (they pull hair), rusty (they stick) or have broken or bent teeth, always as a matched set. BaBylissPRO says not to use a trimmer with missing blade teeth or a broken comb.
  • A filter warning that won’t clear: GA.MA says to contact an authorized service center if the iQ Sfera’s warning stays on after both filters are clean.

California rules for cleaning electrical tools in salons

California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology counts clippers, blow dryers, curling irons and flat irons as electrical tools (16 CCR § 977). Section 980 says they must be disinfected before each use, and § 977 calls for spray or wipe disinfectants on electrical tools rather than the liquid soak used for combs (§ 979). See our guides to cleaning a hairbrush and comb and latex, nitrile and vinyl gloves.

Disinfecting electrical tools between clients in California

Compiled from 16 CCR §§ 977 and 980, the EPA and tool makers’ manuals.

  1. Unplug the tool and let it cool, as the maker’s manual says.
  2. Remove all visible debris, such as hair, dust and skin.
  3. Disinfect with an EPA-registered spray or wipe that has bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal activity.
  4. Use it as the label directs. The EPA says the surface should stay wet for the whole contact time.
  5. Store disinfected tools in a clean place.
  6. Put soiled electrical tools in a container labeled “Soiled,” “Dirty” or “Contaminated.” Hot styling tools are excluded from this step.

Never mix a disinfectant with other chemicals, or dilute it, unless the label says to (EPA).

At OBB

Call or text (949) 591-5304 with your list and we will confirm stock and pricing, then pick up at our Westminster store.

Related reading: How to Clean a Hairbrush and Comb, Beard Care Basics and Hair Salon Supply Checklist.

FAQ

How often should I clean my hair dryer filter?

Follow your manual. GA.MA suggests a self-cleaning cycle after each use and a new fabric filter weekly in a salon or monthly at home.

Can I use rubbing alcohol on flat iron plates?

The manuals we checked call for a damp cloth on a cool, unplugged iron and warn against aggressive cleaners. Check your iron’s manual first.

How often should clipper blades be oiled?

BaBylissPRO’s FXX3T manual says before and after every use. Wahl oils blades each time, after brushing and sanitizing.

Why does my hair dryer keep shutting off?

BaBylissPRO says clogged air intakes make a dryer overheat and trip its safety shutoff. Unplug it, let it cool and clean the vents; if it keeps happening, have it serviced.

Sources

This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Your tool’s manual and your disinfectant’s label come first, and never mix cleaning chemicals. For a large or severe burn, or a burn on an infant or older adult, go to the emergency room. Salon owners should check the current rules with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.

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