Article: You will need a cleaner, a cloth or paper towel, and, possibly, a small scrub brush. Instead of using an all-purpose cleaner, you can use rubbing alcohol to clean the iron. This has the benefit of evaporating and not leaving a strong smell. Any general purpose cleaner will also work, although a cleaner with a strong smell could linger and eventually the smell could be transferred to your hair when you use the curling iron again. You can also make your own cleaning solution. Simply add one part baking soda to two parts water. This mixture can be used just like a commercial cleaner. The baking soda serves as a gentle abrasive that is good at cleaning off hairspray. A small brush that is easy to find is an old toothbrush. However, make sure that the toothbrush is very clean, and that no toothpaste residue is still on it. It can be very painful to get an accidental burn from a curling iron. Because of this, you should always make sure a curling iron is turned off before attempting to clean it. Even if the curling iron isn't on or hot, make sure it's unplugged. This will reduce the risk of electrical shock. A turned off and unplugged curling iron can still be too hot to touch. If you have just used your curling iron, you will need to wait a while before attempting to clean it. While some suggest cleaning a curling iron while it's still a little warm, it's best to clean a completely cold curling iron for safety. You may even want to clean it when you have not used the iron on that day. This will help to avoid the risk of getting burned.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Gather your supplies. Turn off the curling iron. Make sure that your curling iron is not hot.