How to Clean Hair Spray Off of the Floor

Hairspray contains stiffening, glue-like ingredients. This is why this residue can become a sticky hard mess on flooring--a mess that is not always easy to remove.
Fortunately, hairspray is water-soluble. This means that, despite how tacky and hard it dries, you do not need heavy duty cleaners to get it off hard surfaces. While solvents will work, and work fast, some may be too harsh to use on many kinds of flooring. Therefore, it's usually better to take the extra time and use ingredients you already have in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Shampoo or liquid dish soap with citrus oil
• Hot water
• Bucket
• Sponge mop
• Sponges
• Synthetic scouring pad (not steel wool)
• Dry towel

Instructions

1. Pour shampoo or liquid dish detergent directly on the hairspray. Pour a little hot water onto this and mix it in with a sponge. Let it sit for a while to loosen the spray.

2. Scrub the hairspray, using the scrubbing side of a kitchen sponge, or a plastic scouring pad. This should loosen much of it. Add more shampoo or detergent if necessary.

3. Pour warm to hot water in a bucket. Dip a sponge mop into the water and start mopping the floor.

4. Pour the soapy water out and add clean warm water to the bucket. Wash all soap and residue out of the mop. Now mop the floor again with the clean, warm water.

5. Use a clean, dry towel to dry off the floor. Drying the floor immediately is important because, if the floor is still wet, you won't be able to tell whether you have gotten all the hairspray residue off. Any residue still remaining will be loosened and will come off more easily at this time than if you wait.

Tips & Warnings

• Rinse the sponge mop frequently when mopping the hairspray up; otherwise you are just spreading the residue around the floor. If residue still remains, try using a solvent spray such as 3M or another adhesive remover. Just be sure you don't use too much and that if you do, remove it quickly so it doesn't damage the flooring--be sure to check the label. Ammonia-based floor cleaners will work well, too, on getting up hairspray--just be sure not to use ammonia on marble tile (and do not mix it with other cleaners).

• You'll need to take extra precautions with wood flooring. Don't use scalding hot water on the wood floor and don't allow water to sit for very long. In addition, use light pressure with the abrasive sponge (or don't use one at all) if you have flooring that is easily scratched. Don't use steel wool--you can damage the floor's finish.

References

• More tips for removing hairspray
• Removing hairspray from marble floors