Ask A Scientist© Chemistry Archive

name         Charles V. M.
status       other
age          60s
Question -   How do I remove an old hair spray buildup from a wood
door?  Thanks.
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It all depends on: 1. Is the door painted, finished, stained, or
unfinished wood. 2. If it is painted or finished, is it going to be
refinished or repainted? If so, just use paint stripper or acetone (caution:
both these are flammable).

If you want to leave the finish on the door more or less intact, soapy
ammonia water will work with SOME hair sprays, but not others.

Depending on the formulation of the hair spray, "mineral spirits" also may
work for some but not others.

There are commercial removers, one is called "GooGone", that works pretty
well (that is not a product recommendation).

Consult your our local paint store and/or dry cleaners. They may have
products and/or suggestions too.

In any case, try any method on an unobtrusive part of the door.

Vince Calder
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Physically: Use a power sander and remove it down to the wood. Might be too 
invasive and wont guarantee a uniform finish.
Chemically: Determine the solvent used in the hair spray (usually listed on 
the side). I believe the i-butane (iso-butane) and / or n-butane 
(normal-butane) is only an aerosol and wont help you much here, especially 
at standard temperature and pressure where n-butane and i-butane exist as a 
gas. However, look for ingredients that end in "...-ate" or "...-one" or 
acronyms that end in "K", meaning ketones.
If you use the same, or similar, solvent that the hairspray manufacturer 
used you stand a good chance a redissolving the build up and removing it.
"...-one's" meaning ketones like acetone (DMK), MEK, and MIBK are very good 
polar solvents and might be useful to you in this situation (USE CAUTION: 
acetone is flammable / toxic.)
"...-ate's" meaning esters, like ethyl acetate, are fairly good solvents. 
Ethyl acetate (EA), replacing acetone, is now used in nail polish removers. 
EA is not as strong a solvent but it is a good second choice.
Hope this helps,
-Darin Wagner
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Charles,

If you know the brand of hair spray, purchase some and then douse the
affected area with the stuff. Immediately wipe it off while it is still
wet. Repeat the process as may be necessary. The new applications might
soften the buildup to the point where most of it can be wiped away.

Next, apply repeated applications (with immediate wipe-off) of some kind of
spray furniture polish like Pledge.  Good luck.

Regards,
ProfHoff 323
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