The Best Way to Clean a Hairdryer (and How Often You Should)

You (hopefully) know by now that your hairbrush needs to be cleaned every couple of weeks at a minimum, which not only keeps the brush in good shape but also prevents your hair from getting dirty or damaged. Your hairdryer is another beauty tool—along with your makeup brushes—that you should be cleaning regularly.

Like your brush, your hairdryer quickly accumulates hair, dust, and product (like hair and protectant sprays) in its vents, which, when blocked, can cause the dryer to overheat. A hotter-than-usual hairdryer can damage or break your hair, and less airflow means it’ll take longer for your hair to dry. It’s also a fire hazard.

Ideally, you’ll clean your hairdryer every one to three weeks, depending on how often you use it, but once is a good place to start.

How to clean your hairdryer

At a minimum, you need a paper towel or cloth to clean your dryer:

1. Unplug your dryer before removing or cleaning any parts.
2. Remove the dryer filter. Depending on the dryer model, it may pop or twist off, or you may need to remove screws with a screwdriver.
3. Rinse the filter under running water until it’s clean, and dry it with a paper towel or cloth.
4. Replace the filter once it has dried completely.

If you can’t remove the filter, you can use a toothbrush to scrub dirt out (again, make sure the dryer is unplugged and the filter is completely dry before plugging it back in). You can also use a vacuum with a dust brush or crevice cleaner to suck dirt and debris out of the filter and vent.