Your hair will look its best when you are using tools and products that are clean and in good condition. Start the New Year by surveying your hair care supplies to make sure they are in top shape.

Blow Dryers
Wipe the outside of your blow dryer with a damp cloth.
Clean the lint trap of your blow dryer. If the lint trap is removable, take it off and rinse it under hot water. Use a vacuum cleaner hose to pull out lint and stray hairs from the back of the dryer before you replace the lint trap.

Curling irons, flat irons
Purchase a commercial curling iron cleaner to remove baked on styling product. If this is not available, wipe curling irons and flat irons with a soft cloth saturated with alcohol to remove the product build-up.

Combs and brushes
Pull all of you brushes and combs out of the drawer.
Check all brushes. Make sure the ends of the bristles are rounded so that they do not scratch your scalp. If a brush is missing bristles or appears to be worn, it is time to replace it.

Clean your brush
Your brush picks up stray hairs, lint, and styling product residue as well as dust.
• Use the wide teeth of a comb to comb and pick out hairs that are tangled around the bristles. If you are unable to pick out every hair, you can use a tooth pick.
• Fill the sink or a dish pan with warm water and a teaspoon of shampoo. The shampoo is formulated to remove oils and hair product. Soak the brushes for about 20 minutes. If your brush has a wooden handle, do not soak it. Hold it in the soapy water and continue to the next step. Use another brush or an old tooth brush to scrub your hair brush.
• Rinse with hot water. Pat the brush dry with a towel and lay it on a towel to air dry.

Combs
Discard combs that have missing teeth or that have sharp edges on the teeth. They will scratch your scalp and can damage individual hairs.

• To clean your combs, soak them in a sink or pan of soapy water. (See above.)
• Rinse with hot water.

Left-over shampoo, conditioner, and styling products
These are all the products that you hadn’t finished when you decided to try a new brand. You will usually find them stored under the bathroom sink or in the linen closet.

• Any bottle of shampoo, conditioner, styling mousse, styling gel, etc that you aren’t currently using and that is not closed or sealed tightly should be discarded. Most products have a shelf life of at least one year when sealed. However the container must be tightly closed. If it is open, bacteria can get in and the product will break down.
• If you haven’t used a product in three months and the bottle is less than half full, it is wise to discard it.