Leska longs to learn… How do you clean hairspray build up off of a curling iron?
The Right Brain replies:
To answer Leska’s question let’s start with a quick bit of background on hairspray chemistry.
How hairspray works
Hairsprays (like Sebastian Shaper, Tresemme Tres II, Bumble and Bumble Does It All Styling Spray, and Charles Worthington Big Hair to name a few) work by sticking hair shafts together with tiny droplets of chemical glue, or resins. These resins are polymers that form hard films that weld the hairs together. They’re designed to be water resistant so your hairstyle won’t droop when it’s exposed to high humidity. Unfortunately, that water resistance means that hairspray won’t wash off with water alone.
Usually a good shampoo is enough to wash hairspray off your hair. But when you’ve got a LOT of it built up on a styling tool (like your curling iron) or on your bathroom counter, soap and water might not do the trick. When that happens you might have to go for the strong stuff.
How to clean hairspray off hard surfaces
Since resins are primarily soluble in solvents like alcohol or acetone, a little rubbing alcohol (aka isopropyl alcohol) will work pretty well. Or, if you can get ethanol, that will work too. You could also try nail polish remover (which contains solvents like acetone or ethyl acetate) but those are a bit more aggressive. (Before using a solvent on your curling iron, you should check the manufacturers’ directions because there is a chance the solvent could damage the paint.)
How to not blow yourself up
Of course, make sure the device is unplugged when you clean it AND that you dry it completely before plugging it back in. High temperatures + electricity + flammable liquid = trouble. (Sometime ask the Left Brain to tell you the story about having a quick cigarette while using hairspray. Trust me, it wasn’t pretty!)
Got all that? Good! Now, if you promise not to sue us when your curling iron explodes, we’ll tell you how aerosol hairsprays are made.
Do YOU have any favorite ways for cleaning up hairspray residue? Leave a comment and share your tips with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I use Lysol wipes. It works great on the counter and my curling iron.
@Elizabeth: The liquid on Lysol wipes is almost 80% ethanol so it makes sense that they would work really well.
Would white vinegar work, too?
Awesome website and articles. Thanks so much for taking the time to post the information and reply to so many people!
CC, I use white vinegar to clean my straightening irons. So far, so good.