Hairspray residue

In detail

Hairspray works by depositing a resin — commonly a vinyl or acrylate copolymer — that dries to a flexible film holding hair in place. What lands on the hair is a small fraction of what leaves the can, and the rest settles on everything within a couple of metres: the mirror, the tiles, the floor, the light fitting, the top of the cistern. Because the film is deposited in extremely thin layers, nobody notices it as dirt. It is noticed as behaviour — a floor that stays tacky underfoot after mopping, a mirror that smears rather than clearing, a hairbrush that will not come clean. The deposit is a polymer and it resists plain water, which is why washing appears not to work. The carpet institute puts it on the aqueous branch with a solvent in reserve: detergent solution, warm water, then solvent. On hard surfaces a surfactant with a little alcohol usually clears it, and repeated thin removals work better than one aggressive attempt. The real answer is spatial rather than chemical: spraying away from the surfaces that collect it, or wiping them weekly before a film can build.

Why

• Hairspray residue is explained by Solvents and polymers