Style Hair Hair Tools & Techniques How to Clean Your Hair Dryer Every so often, this beauty essential needs a little TLC so your home blowouts look great for months to come. By Amanda Lauren Updated on June 12, 2023 Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process Ask yourself: When was the last time you cleaned your hair dryer? Never? We thought so. But if you know how to clean a hairbrush, you should also know how to clean your hair dryer. Like any other electronic appliance, it needs to be properly maintained. Whether you've invested in a high-end hair dryer such as the Dyson hair dryer, something mid-level like the T3 hair dryer or Chi hair dryer, or even a more moderately priced brand like a Conair hair dryer, if you fail to properly maintain it, it will most certainly stop working at some point. Furthermore, using an attachment such as a hair dryer diffuser can add an additional reason to clean your hair dryer, because it can become too hot. Here's how to clean your hair dryer in a few easy steps. How Often to Clean Your Hair Dryer Depending on how often you dry your hair, you should aim to clean it somewhere between once a week and every three weeks. It is particularly important to maintain your hair dryer on a consistent basis. But even if you can't clean it as often as you would like to, don't forget that infrequent cleaning is better than no cleaning at all. If you clean your hair dryer and it continues to become too hot, it might be time to replace it with a new one. Considerations Before You Get Started A dirty, clogged hair dryer is incredibly hazardous. The vents can become blocked by a variety of debris including hair, dust, dirt, heat protectants, and sticky hair sprays. The build up of these things may seem like they aren't a big deal, but all of this prevents air from being pushed out, and the internal temperature of the hair dryer can end up rising to dangerous levels. When an appliance overheats, it even has the potential to catch fire. Scary, right? A hair dryer that overheats can also be very damaging to the hair. Too much heat can cause split ends and other kinds of hair breakage. Because less air travels through a dirty dryer, your hair will also take longer to dry. So a clean dryer means better hair days and saves you time, too! If your blow dryer feels too hot or it turns off while you are in the middle of using it on a regular basis, it may mean that it's time to unplug. Let it cool off and then give your favorite tool a thorough cleaning. What You'll Need Materials Lint-free cloth or paper towel Water Toothbrush or hairbrush (optional) Vacuum (optional) Screwdriver (optional) Instructions How to Clean a Hair Dryer With a Lint-Free Cloth Cleaning a hair dryer is simple and shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Step 1: Unplug It Never try to clean a dryer that's plugged in. Step 2: Remove the Filter The filter is located on the back of the dryer. Some filters twist right off, while others may require a screwdriver. Step 3: Rinse the Filter and Wipe With Cloth Place the filter under running water for a few seconds until all the dirt comes off. Then dry with a lint-free cloth or paper towel. If the filter will not come off at all, you may have to use a hairbrush or even a toothbrush to manually remove any dirt or dust.For very dirty hair dryers, you can also place the hose of your vacuum on the vent for a few seconds to get every last bit of debris that may be stuck inside the appliance. Step 4: Replace the Filter on the Dryer Make sure the filter is completely dry before reattaching it.