Modern hairspray is actually one of the most versatile cleaning agents in the home. Yes, it can be unpleasant when it’s in the air, but used sparingly and carefully it can get you out of a few tricky — and sticky — situations.
Whether you use hairspray in your home or not, it might be worth having a bottle — just in case you need a helping hand with the more difficult cleaning jobs in your home.
Here are seven ways hairspray can help you to clean.
1. Remove sticky residues
Whether there’s a sticky residue on your clothes from a sticker or on a wall, you can remove it relatively easily with some hairspray. Simply spray the affected area, and wait 20 minutes. If you’re cleaning clothes, simply throw them in the wash. If you’re cleaning a surface, however, simply wipe it down with a damp microfibre cloth.
2. Remove ink
It often seems that nothing is good enough to remove ink from clothing. However, the next time you’re at a loss for ink removal options, try some hairspray. Spray the affected area liberally, and leave it for an hour or so. Gently dab the stain with a slightly dampened cloth once it’s had enough contact time.
3. Give flowers a pick-me-up
If you like to have fresh flowers in your home, you’ll already know how quickly they wither and wilt. You can extend the usefulness of cut flowers in your home by spraying them with a little hairspray. Restrict the spraying to the underside of the leaves and petals, however.
4. Trap Christmas tree needles
Nothing beats having a real Christmas tree at home. However, the big drawback is usually the number of needles that need to be vacuumed off the floor every few hours. You can drastically reduce the rate at which your tree drops needles by spraying it with hairspray. This method can also prolong the life of real Christmas wreaths.
5. Breathe life into leather
Leather is a low-maintenance, highly durable material that looks fantastic. However, after a while it can become stained, cracked and scratched. Whether you’re dealing with a leather sofa or a favourite pair of shoes, breathe new life into your leather with a liberal coating of hairspray. Spray the surface liberally, and use a microfibre cloth to rub it in. You should see scratches and blemishes vanish before your eyes.
6. Make tights and stockings last longer
Tights and stockings have a tendency to rip and ladder relatively easily. If you’re hard on these items, you can strengthen them with a coating of hairspray. The chemicals in the hairspray tighten the threads, which makes them much more difficult to damage. This is a particularly effective way of stopping your toes from ripping your tights.
7. Repel dust
Yes, that’s right… hairspray sends dust on its way from almost any surface. Of course, the dust will eventually settle somewhere else, but perhaps on a surface that is easier to clean. A lot of people spray their curtains in hairspray, as they can be difficult and time-consuming to clean.
Hairspray is one of those unusual but highly effective cleaning agents that is always handy to have lying around in the home somewhere. Whether you need to remove a stain or reduce your cleaning workload, there’s always a chance that hairspray can make the job a little easier.
