Cleaning A Chi Straightener

Hey there friends!! I know it's been a while and I actually have so many things to blog about, but we'll take it one at a time. 

So, about a month or two ago, my brand new Chi straightener began to develop the nastiest build up! As the build up got worse, it actually began to pull my hair during straightening...ouch!! 

My old Chi never had this problem, so I looked to my beloved Pinterest for a solution!! Sure enough, I found this blog http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/11/how-to-clean-your-flat-iron.html#more  full of great info and advice!! I decided to try her method and made a few tweaks to her system! 

So let's talk dirty nasty flat irons! 

Gross!! She says in her blog that this is caused by straightening after applying hairspray, and I believe it!! I never had this problem with my old straightener, which was pre short hair!! 

Well, she gives out the recipe for what she calls her miracle cleaner! Let me just be honest here, I was a skeptic...there, I said it! Lol!

 The recipe is:

1/4 c baking soda

And a small amount of hydrogen peroxide 

Stir together (just enough peroxide to make a very thick paste)

I started out with it way too thin, it needs to be nice and thick, stiff enough you could form it into shapes(which my 3 1/2 year old had tons of fun doing!) 

DO NOT use a thin and runny mixture, as this could damage your straightener, with it being electric. 

 

Now, my build up was very thick and tough, so I laid a layer of paste on the plate and let it soak about 5 minutes

After 5 minutes, I simply banged the iron on the sink, so all of the paste fell off, and then applied little bits at a time, with a scratch resistant kitchen sponge, scrubbing with all of my might! She said on her blog that she uses her hands, but it was taking me way too long that way 

I was not brave enough to try the green scrubby side, so I just stuck with the safer yellow side! Scrub to your hearts content! This takes lots of elbow grease, and the baking soda that ends up in the sink is quite gross looking! 

After I was done, I threw my sponge away! In the future I would cut it in half, as I think one half would definitely get the job done. With the chemicals I use on my hair, I couldn't think of anything else I would feel safe using the sponge on, if you can think of some, go for it!! 

Before and after!! Not too bad, right??? I'd say this project took around 15-20 min!