Straightener plate
A ceramic-coated surface that is repeatedly taken to 230°C with styling product on it. The manufacturer permits a damp cloth on it and prohibits the two things people reach for when the damp cloth does not work.
What not to do
Solvent wiping is prohibited by the manufacturer for Straightener plate
Best avoided
The available guidance advises against this.
Named outright. It is also the most-recommended fix in consumer articles for baked-on product, which is why the prohibition matters.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Keratin Protect Intelligent Straightener S8598 — instruction manual
Spectrum Brands (UK) Ltd, trading as Remington · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That harsh or abrasive cleaning agents and SOLVENTS must not be used to clean the appliance. (states this directly)
Mild abrasion is prohibited by the manufacturer for Straightener plate
Best avoided
The available guidance advises against this.
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Keratin Protect Intelligent Straightener S8598 — instruction manual
Spectrum Brands (UK) Ltd, trading as Remington · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That harsh or ABRASIVE cleaning agents must not be used to clean the appliance. (states this directly)
Precautions
- Disconnect from the power supply first
- Do not apply to a hot surface
- Check the manufacturer's instructions
Start here
What this is, what tends to go wrong with it, and what to do about it.
The science behind this: Moisture and electrical appliances
Part of Hair straightener.
In detail
Everything difficult about cleaning a straightener is on this part. Hairspray, serum and heat protectant are applied to hair and then pressed between two plates at up to 230°C, which does not deposit the product so much as bake it on. The manufacturer's instruction for it is a damp cloth, on an appliance that has been unplugged and allowed to cool. It then rules out both escalations: no harsh or abrasive cleaning agents, and NO SOLVENTS. The plates are ceramic COATED rather than solid ceramic, and a coating is a thin layer that abrasives take off and solvents can attack. The conditions on the damp cloth are the whole safety story of this component. Unplugged, cool, and a cloth rather than a poured or sprayed liquid — the same three conditions that apply to every other mains appliance with a surface people want to wipe.
What works
Water is safe on, in specific conditions, Straightener plate
Safe only in specific conditions
This is only appropriate within specific limits. Outside those limits, no claim is made.
Only within these limits:
- UNPLUGGED — not merely switched off
- Completely COOL, which the manual repeats under storage as well as cleaning
- A damp cloth, wrung out; never a poured or sprayed liquid and never immersion
The manual's own water warnings are stronger than this and are about a different moment: near a bath, shower or basin the appliance is a hazard even when it is switched off. That is about proximity to water while it is plugged in, not about a wrung-out cloth on a cold, unplugged one.
Precautions
- Disconnect from the power supply first
- Do not apply to a hot surface
Evidence
Supported
Sources
Keratin Protect Intelligent Straightener S8598 — instruction manual
Spectrum Brands (UK) Ltd, trading as Remington · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That the appliance is unplugged and allowed to cool, that all the surfaces are wiped with a damp cloth, and separately that it must not be used near bathtubs, showers, basins or other vessels containing water and must be unplugged after use in a bathroom. (states this directly)
Why
- Straightener plate is explained by Moisture and electrical appliances
Why the damp cloth carries three conditions rather than none.
Sources for this page
Sources
Keratin Protect Intelligent Straightener S8598 — instruction manual
Spectrum Brands (UK) Ltd, trading as Remington · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That the plates are ceramic coated, that the appliance is unplugged and allowed to cool before cleaning, that all surfaces are wiped with a damp cloth, and that harsh or abrasive cleaning agents and solvents must not be used. (states this directly)