Keep Your Hair Dryer from Becoming a Fire Hazard by Cleaning This One Part

When you think of household fire hazards, candles, cooking mishaps, and heating equipment (such as space heaters) are likely on your radar. But there’s one frequently-used item that you need to watch out for: hair dryers.

If you don’t use and maintain your hair dryer properly, it can overheat—potentially leading to sparks, which can ignite your model’s internal elements and even spread to flammable objects near by. However, saving yourself from this fire hazard is easier than you might think. To help you keep your hair tool in top shape, Kate Craft, Dyson’s senior reliability engineer, explains how (and why!) to clean it.

Yes, You Need to Clean Your Hair Dryer’s Filter

A hair dryer needs proper airflow to function, and a filter is a crucial component of this gadget’s mechanism. Here’s why: a clogged filter can cause its internal components to overheat quickly leading to flammability.

“Hair dryers have filters to ensure any airborne debris does not become lodged in the motor or sensitive internals of the machine,” Craft says. “[This element] helps maintain the hair dryer’s performance and protects it from accumulating debris. These filters typically catch dust, lint, and aerosolized hair products.”

That means a dirty or clogged air filter poses to major risks: The first is a damaged machine (not ideal, especially if you have an expensive model), and the second is a fire hazard waiting to happen.

How to Do It

“The safest, most-effective method is the [one] provided by the manufacturer,” Craft says. But in general, Craft outlines some key steps that apply to most hair dryer models below:

• Always unplug your air dryer before cleaning.
• Locate your filter (and detach it, if your model allows).
• Use a soft tooth brush or cleaning brush to gently remove any debris from your filter mesh.
• If your filter is heavily soiled, try rinsing it with water (just be sure to let it dry completely before you reattach it).
• Reattach and set your filter back into place.

When in doubt, search the web to tap into any helpful videos or how-tos posted by your hair dryer’s manufacturer.

For example, when it comes to the Dyson’s consumer-grade Supersonic, Craft advises to remove the outer filter cage and slide it away from the machine. “If you have a Dyson-designed C-brush, slide this onto the power cord. Then, using a rotating up and down action, clean the inner filter mesh until all debris has been removed,” she says. “Do not use any water or chemical to clean the inner filter. [Lastly,], replace the outer filter cage once cleaning is complete,” she says, adding that a soft bristled toothbrush can be a great alternative to the C-brush if you don’t have one, or have a different model of hair dryer.

How Often Should You Clean Your Hair Dryer Filter?

To prevent your model from overheating, cleaning it on a regular schedule is key and fine-tuning this routine just depends on how often you use your hair dryer. For example, the “average user should clean their filter at least monthly,” Craft says, but heavier users should clean more often.

Professionals should clean their filter at least once a week. “We suggest incorporating filter cleaning into part of the regular routine of your salon or home to make sure you don’t forget,” Craft says.

Signs It’s Time to Clean the Filter

There can be several signs that indicate it’s time to give your gadget a deeper clean, but here are a few key ones to watch for:

• A heavy build-up of debris or hair on your filter.
• A burning smell when you use your dryer.
• Longer dry times.
• Louder machine sounds.
• A decrease in air flow.

Some smart machines may also have a signal built-in to alert you when there’s a problem. For example, some newer models have a light that will signal it’s time for a cleaning. “If the LEDs blink or your machine shuts off during use, we suggest cleaning your filter before proceeding with other troubleshooting steps,” Craft says.