Straighteners can be a great way to get your hair looking nice and smooth, but they can also lead to some unfortunate accidents if used wrongly.
Hair straighteners can cause a fire if left unattended for an extended period of time. Hair straighteners can ignite hair, carpet and clothes very quickly as they rise up to temperatures of 235°C.
In fact, hair straighteners are the cause of three fires each week in Britain alone [1].
In November 2014 a 21-year old from Lincolnshire lost her life in a tragic accident involving a faulty hairdryer and her bedsheets. The girl was wearing flammable clothing and fell asleep with the straightener attached.
No products found.One of the causes hair straighteners to cause a fire is leaving them in too long when in use.
It is always recommended that you keep hair straighteners in your hand or on a heat-resistant surface when in use so that if it does get left unattended, there won’t be anything nearby to catch on fire.
Faulty wiring is also a factor that can lead to a hair straightener causing a fire.
You should check and replace faulty straighteners immediately to prevent any accidents.
Keeping your family safe!
Safety incidents have taught me that everyone should have a home safety kit to ensure family members can escape a fire quickly and safely. Here is the Safety Kit that I recommend, in the event of a fire or other emergency.
How long can you leave straighteners on for?
It is important to know that after using a hair straightener, they can remain hot for up to forty minutes after they have been switched off.
You should take extra care to wait until they have completely cooled down before leaving them unattended or going to sleep.
Alternatively, you should consider getting a heat-proof pouch to place the straighteners in while they are not in use.
If you decide not to get this one, then be sure to buy one approved by an organisation such as the Trading Standards Institute or BSI PAS (British safety standard).
Do straighteners automatically turn off?
Many modern hair straighteners are made with safety features that help to prevent the appliance from overheating.
These safety features automatically turn off the electricity supply if they become too hot, but it’s important to understand that this may not occur immediately and the straightener can still remain hot for an extended period of time.
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If you cannot hold a straightener firmly in one hand or while using a heat-proof mat, then it’s too hot and you should wait for it to cool down.
How many house fires are caused by hair straighteners
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service estimate that up to 650,000 house fires in the country are caused by appliances such as hair straighteners, kettles, and toasters every year [2].
The National Fire Protection Association also estimates that each year, fires involving curling irons and other heated styling tools cause 13,000 injuries and 150 deaths.
Often these fires can also start with an overloaded power strip or extension cord that gets too hot and catches on fire.
To highlight the issue, Electrical Safety First launched a campaign called Pull the Plug. The aim of the campaign was to remind people to switch off and unplug their beauty appliances after use.
Hair Straightener Safety
To ensure you are using your hair straighteners safely, there are a number of precautions that you should take:
- Never use your straightener if its damaged or faulty in any way.
- Switch off and unplug your hair straighteners after using them.
- Avoid leaving them unattended for a long period of time as they may become too hot to touch.
- Make sure that you keep it on a heat resistant surface when in use (e.g. ceramic)
- Do not use your hair straightener while sleepy, when unwell or under the influence of alcohol.
- Only use genuine electrical parts – these are marked with either the manufacturer’s brand name or logo
It is important that you minimise distractions when using an electrical appliance.
Do GHD’s turn off automatically
GHD hair straighteners are intended to be used at home. They are a popular brand of hair straighteners, but you must exercise common sense when using them.
Most GHD hair straighteners turn to automatic sleep mode after 3 minutes of non-use.
You can set the timer on your GHD hair straightener for less than an hour if you do not want to wait for it to turn off by itself.
You must check that your GHD hair straightener is turned off before leaving the room. If you are not sure if it’s completely turned off, then switch it back on for 30 seconds to one minute and turn it off again.
Do Remington Straighteners turn off automatically
Remington has been producing quality electrical products for over 30 years. They know how dangerous an appliance can be if it isn’t used properly
Most of the new Remington straighteners have a fast heat option that heats up in 15 seconds. They also have an automatic shut-off feature that kicks in after 60 minutes.
As with any appliance though, when you use a Remington hair straightener, it is important that you pay attention to what you are doing.
It is easy to walk out of the room and leave your hair straightener on without realising it.
Do Babyliss hair straighteners turn off automatically
If you’ve ever used a Babyliss hair straightener, then you know that they turn off automatically after 72 minutes.
The appliance has an automatic shut off feature, so if the straightener is switched on for more than 72 minutes continuously, it will automatically switch off.
If you wish to continue using the appliance after this time, simply press and hold the power button for 1-2 seconds to turn the power on again.
This is to prevent the heating element from damaging your hair.
The automatic shut-off feature allows for more precision in styling and helps avoid accidents like forgetting to turn it off before leaving the room or using it when traveling.
When you use a Babyliss hair straightener, it is important that you pay attention and ensure your hair straightener has turned off before leaving the room.
