Spring Clean Hair Products & Styling Tools, It’s Time!

How can you have clean hair if you don’t clean your hair products?!  You cannot so as we get closer to March, we need to start our spring cleaning our houses and even hair products. What many women often neglect is to spring clean their haircare products and styling tools. From whatever has been living under your sink to that flat iron with way too much gunk on it, hair care is more than just taking care of your tresses.

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Hair tools and products are only as good as you keep them or as LONG as you keep them. Just like you know at some point in time you will have to ditch those old hair extensions, you need to do declutter your hair products.  Spring is a great time to see what needs to be ditched, what needs to be revamped or what needs a good cleaning! Let’s get started lovelies!

 No judgement here if you hold onto products longer than you should, but if you haven’t kept up with the expiration timeline, now is the time to verify dates and ditch what is way outdated!  Sniff, look at labels, check online for how long products should last and even check consistency of products to ensure they are still good to use. This may take a long time to do but it will be worth it to get rid of what’s no longer good to use. Nothing worse than putting expired product in your hair and they won’t work as well either.

Question…why are you holding onto them? I’m a hoarder of haircare products like many of you out there but if something is just not right for you then you gotta let it go. Donate to a shelter, give to a friend or family member who likes it or just toss it. This is the perfect time to ditch it. Oh, and if you see some products with ingredients that are not great for your hair or not great at all, then toss it out and remember to not buy it again.  This is not the time to be cheap because just cluttering up your bathroom makes it look messy.

Here’s a breakdown on how to clean all your tools:

Clips/ Pins

Hair clip are too often forgotten about when it comes down to cleaning but, luckily enough, they aren’t difficult to clean at all! I’ve found that the best way to clean them is by dampening a washcloth with some water and shampoo or Lysol and wiping them off individually. Hold the clip/pin open and use the cloth to clean each side thoroughly. Rinse off with clean water and allow to air dry. 

Flat irons on clean hair

If you’re not afraid of a little heat, then chances are you use your flat iron semi-religiously. If you’ve ever noticed that cakey-type stuff that builds up on the sides of the flat iron, then you know that that’s NOT something you’re interested in getting in your hair. There are cleaners specifically designed for flat irons so that the metal is not stripped or compromised in any way, but some simple dish washing liquid won’t hurt it. 

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Make a solution of 1 cup water and 2 tbsp. dish washing liquid. Dip a washcloth in the solution, wring it out so that the cloth is damp and not dripping wet. Wipe each iron off completely, focusing on the sides of the iron where the most build up occurs. Complete until the iron is clean. Wipe the irons off again completely with a different washcloth that has been dampened with just water in order to remove any residue left from the soap. Seriously Natural

Here is an excellent video on how to clean your hair dryer, flat iron and curling iron using household items most of us already have like tweezers and baking soda. I love how she explains why cleaning out your blow dryer will keep it from overheating, not working properly or breaking all together!

You can make this process easier by doing a few things so spring cleaning doesn’t have to be so daunting.

Start marking dates on newly bought products with a permanent marker. You can place the date you bought it or better yet, put  the expiration date on it. Not sure how long it will last? Check out the product online to see how long they last or the recommended usage once it’s been open.

Make sure to store products (especially in glass bottles) away from sunlight. This will allow them to last as long as possible. Some essential oils do better or last longer in the fridge so do your homework before putting away so you get the most out of the product.

Fully dry towels, scarves and bonnets when wet so they won’t harbor any mold or mildew. Hang them on the shower rod or lie flat so they dry completely and stay clean and bacteria free. I wash them every time I was my hair so I’m not putting any old products or dirt back into my hair and I wash them on gentle cycle so they last longer.

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Periodically clean styling tools. You don’t want that gunky build-up back into your hair and waiting until once a year to clean makes it harder to remove. No one says do it every week or even every month, but when you see a film or anything on them, wipe clean to keep them looking and working great.

If you follow these tips, you may even get to skip next year’s spring cleaning or at the very least may it go by quicker!

Sabrina

 

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