Use these tips to maintain your hair dryer in peak condition
How far up on your to-do list is cleaning out your hair dryer? If you’re like most of us, it’s probably somewhere near the bottom, along with scrubbing baseboards or mopping behind the oven.
However, hair dryer maintenance, while often less discussed then, say, mastering the perfect blowout or avoiding hairstyling mistakes, should also become an essential part of your hair care routine. If you've invested in the best hair dryer you can find, use our top tips to keep your hair dryer performing at its peak.
How to Prevent Hair Dryer Overheating
In order to operate, hair dryers rely on their heating element, a long coil of thin wire that develops heat. Behind the heating element is a fan which blows a blast of air through the heater and sends the now hot air through your dryer’s nozzle.
If the airflow is obstructed, the air will become too hot as it is forced to build up near the heating element. This stage of overheating is very damaging to hair, as the excessive heat can cause split ends and breakage.
And while the increased heat would lead you to believe that your hair would dry quicker, this isn’t true, as the amount of airflow is decreased. So, you’re essentially applying more heat to your hair, with less air blasting from the nozzle, which leads to damage and longer drying times.
If the overheating isn’t resolved it will eventually burn out the motor, leaving your blow dryer inoperable and you with wet, soggy hair.
While it sounds like a snowball disaster effect, all this tragedy can be prevented with a bit of simple hair dryer maintenance. So, if you notice that your dryer is overheating and taking longer to dry, turn it off, and perform a quick clean on it. Once clean, it should be back up and running like new again.
Benefits of Cleaning Your Hair Dryer Vent
The most important part of blow dryer maintenance is cleaning out the vent. Vent cleaning should be performed based on how often you dry your hair, with a recommended cleaning schedule of once a week to once every three weeks.
And, while it may sound like just another tedious task on your mile-long chore list, the benefits of cleaning out your hair dryer are threefold.
First, cleaning out the dryer vent means improved airflow, which allows your hair to dry more quickly and the blow dryer to operate more efficiently.
Second, cleaning out the vent on your blow dryer will extend its life, as the motor is not straining to operate, as can happen when a vent is clogged with hair and debris. High-end dryers can cost $100 or more, so if for no other reason, protecting your investment should serve as incentive to clean that vent!
Third, and most importantly, a clogged dryer can be a fire hazard. While some dryers have a safety mechanism that will trigger the thermostat to turn off if the vent is clogged, it’s best not to rely on this, as you never know what can go wrong. Think of your hair dryer along the same lines as your clothes dryer vent, which you dutifully clean out in order to prevent fires and keep your laundry drying at peak performance.
How to Clean Your Blow Dryer Vent
So, now that you know why you should clean out your dryer vent, let’s talk about how to do it.
- Determine the location of your hair dryer’s vent. Most dryers have vents in the back, but some models may instead have side vents.
- After ensuring your dryer is unplugged, gently twist and rotate the vent cap to remove it. If you’re twisting in the correct direction, the vent cap should screw off easily without the need for you to force it.
- Once the vent is removed, inspect it for clogging. Buildup can occur from hair, debris, or even styling products that come in contact with your dryer. Take a damp washcloth and wipe all around the vent to remove all residue. If you find any holes still filled with clogs, clean out these areas with an old, dry toothbrush.
- Let the vent air dry completely.
- Twist the vent back on till it locks into place. And…you’re done! Quick, painless, and totally worth it! Now you can get back to working your way through drying that thick head of hair of yours.
Resources — Brighter Sides, Fixit Club, Real Simple
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