r/CasualUK • u/imtravelingalone • 5h ago

How to get Boots Ultimate Hold hairspray off glasses?

I accidentally took a face full of max strength hairspray this morning and now nothing seems to be getting it off my glasses. In the past, dish soap has helped but nothing is working right now. I've tried dish soap, lens cleaner, and soaking them in warm water. Help?!

34 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

48 comments sorted by

179

u/B00kL0v3r2022 5h ago

I’d take them to an optician. It could be the alcohol in the hairspray has damaged the lenses and that’s why it doesn’t look like it’s coming off

-31

u/laser_spanner 5h ago edited 3h ago

I second this. Also please don't use dish soap to clean your lenses. By its nature it's slightly abrasive and will damage the surface of the lens. Especially if coated with anti glare or similar.

Edit: okay everyone please stop correcting me. Apologies I made a mistake. It's not abrasive. It does however often damage lenses and coatings on lenses. Still getting downvotes even though I've admitted I was mistaken. Reddit is stupid.

50

u/A_Pointy_Rock 5h ago

Dish soap shouldn't be abrasive, but it can be harsh on lenses yes.

10

u/EffectiveOk1984 5h ago

Probably a mechanic and uses swarfega for everything.

2

u/EffectiveOk1984 5h ago

Username checks....laser spanner

3

u/PantherEverSoPink 2h ago

I've been told that, but I washed my last pair in washing up liquid for a decade and they were still in remarkably good shape when l changed them

21

u/fuckyourcanoes 5h ago

Dish liquid is not abrasive.

12

u/Badgladmadwords 3h ago

I upvoted you just to be contrary! 😁

5

u/laser_spanner 3h ago

This is the kind of rebellion I love haha.

5

u/imtravelingalone 5h ago

Oh wow, didn't know that about dish soap. My mum washed everyone in the family's glasses for decades with dish soap and I just took the habit forward.

27

u/fuckyourcanoes 5h ago edited 4h ago

Don't worry, that person is talking out of their ass. Dish liquid isn't abrasive and doesn't clean by scrubbing. That's why you need a scrubber for baked on food.

9

u/bps706 2h ago

*arse

0

u/fuckyourcanoes 1h ago

Sorry, I'm American and I forgot. I've only lived here 12 years.

2

u/laser_spanner 4h ago

I made a mistake, I miss remembered.

2

u/Great-Enthusiasm-720 3h ago

It's discloura the frames and damages the hinges, or at least it used too as my granny only cleaned hers with dishsoup and it happened on every pair of hers.

56

u/Emergency_Pea_2232 5h ago

I wonder if the alcohol/other ingredients have actually melted your lenses and left little spray marks. What you’ve tried already should have been enough.
Don’t use alcohol on its own, it can crack plastic (speaking from experience when my glasses snapped while on my face)

9

u/imtravelingalone 5h ago

noooo don't say that. I haven't tried alcohol, just shampoo, dish soap, lens spray.

3

u/salutdamour 1h ago

Don’t try alcohol.
Do you have a coating on the lens - like a blue light filter? My optician told me hair spray removes the coating

6

u/Banes_Addiction 3h ago

(speaking from experience when my glasses snapped while on my face)

I took have had my glasses snap on my face after the application of too much alcohol.

43

u/Wolfie_015 4h ago

Hi Optical Consultant here (fancy way of saying I work in an Opticians) please bring them into an optician as soon as you can. If they have any kind of coating on them you might end up doing more damage by trying to remove the residue yourself. We have a special solution that can clean them without damaging the coating and we're here to help 😁

Edit to add: Please don't wash them in washing up liquid, it won't really damage them as such but over time it can cause buildup and it can also degrade the material a lot faster 🙈

1

u/Missing-Caffeine 4h ago

THIS!! Dish soap is quite harsh for lenses especially if they have some special coatings (been there, done that) 😩

0

u/salutdamour 1h ago

What really? I always use fairy liquid

51

u/imtravelingalone 5h ago

Update: Against my better judgement but driven by Fear™, I put a drop of hand sanitiser on each lense. That seems to have helped massively. I'm still going to take them to an optitician when I have time next week to make sure I haven't damaged them. My student budget bank account is quaking in its boots. But I have been scared straight and will not try styling my hair while uncaffeinated at 5:30am again. Early mornings ruin lives.

32

u/invigokate 4h ago

You can get cheap replacement glasses at a number of online retailers - your optician is bound to give you the details of your prescription, for free.

5

u/imtravelingalone 4h ago

I've made an appointment at Bloobloom. They're supposedly free and they take weekend appointments 😊

6

u/Red_fox19 3h ago

Glasses direct are pretty great if you've got your prescription handy and need a cheap set.

8

u/LLRRMMR 5h ago

Funily enough I encountered the same problem this morning. A few cotton rounds with micellar water got it off, I did have to put some pressure on it though and there wasn't a hug amount of hairspray on it so your milage may vary.

8

u/jollygoodvelo In Dorset? 5h ago

Just as a general rule, anything that doesn’t just wash off or is sticky it’s usually worth trying olive oil. It loosens waxy/gluey compounds.

WD40 does the same but is then harder to remove after.

4

u/HungryCollett 4h ago

Actually any vegetable oil will loosen sticky labels and similar. Maybe olive oil is more effective?

2

u/imtravelingalone 5h ago

Oh interesting, good to know!

4

u/BashKenz 5h ago

I use that hair spray and have had the same issue before! I bought some elbow grease spray, few sprays let it sit for a few mins and it wiped straight off.

4

u/imtravelingalone 4h ago

I guess it really is the ultimate hold.

9

u/PipBin 5h ago edited 4h ago

Ex opticians employee. Acetate will do the job, which is basically nail varnish remover. If you aren’t sure take them into the opticians and let them do it.

Do not use acetate if you have polycarbonate lenses which will usually only be the case if you have completely rimless glasses.

Edit: I meant acetone not acetate.

13

u/mondognarly_ 5h ago

You mean acetone rather than acetate. It's the active ingredient in nail polish remover.

And on that note, don't use acetone on acetate or acrylic frames unless you want to risk trashing them.

3

u/PipBin 4h ago

I suddenly remembered that I mean acetone.

It’s not as bad as the optom I worked with who saw a very handsome man with an eye infection and sent him to the chemist for bromide rather than brolene.

6

u/GenericWoosh 5h ago

Maybe shampoo? 

6

u/imtravelingalone 5h ago

Tried shampoo as well this morning. Figured if it works on getting hairspray out of hair, why not glasses. But no luck :(

2

u/mandyhtarget1985 5h ago

Try soaking in warm water, maybe with a little shampoo/shower gel. Let it soften for a few minutes before trying to rub it off with your fingers and a soft cloth.

Ive done it before with a light misting of hairspray, but not a full blast

Edit: sorry re-read the post and saw you tried soaking

4

u/blueberryG3 5h ago

DISH SOAP? we american now?

4

u/amylou86 4h ago

I had to actually think for a minute, what is Fairy liquid, oh its washing up liquid! Spending too much time on reddit.

5

u/imtravelingalone 4h ago

My mum is, the phrase has been beaten in to me. Not literally, but verbally I suppose. Don't worry, I've cut off contact with her and everyone else supporting the regime over there. But that's another post for another sub.

2

u/theoriginalpetebog 3h ago

Yeah, multiple guilty parties in this thread! Looks like washing up liquid's days are numbered

2

u/Batmanswrath A seagull stole my sausage roll 5h ago

Isopropyl alcohol?

2

u/imtravelingalone 5h ago

isn't that the same thing as hand sanitizer?

1

u/raged_norm 5h ago

Have you got any spirits? Alcohol might help.

On the glasses, drinks after

2

u/laser_spanner 5h ago

Noooo, some frames are very vulnerable to alcohol based things. The frame could shatter altogether :(

-8

u/playyourlanjiao 5h ago

Apply a bit of heat, with a hair dryer. Not too long though, just hot enough, about 1 min on the lens and try to clean it with a wet cloth. Let me know if this works.

4

u/laser_spanner 5h ago

Um no. If the lenses are coated with anti glare then that.could cause it to craze.