Hair Care New Uses for Old Things

After a steamy shower, clear the bathroom mirror with a quick blast of hot or cold air.

If daily use of mousse or gel is weighing down your locks, add a pinch or two of baking soda to your shampoo once a week to remove product buildup. Getting squeaky-clean strands is a piece of cake.

More than just a hair accessory: Attach a note to a ribbon with a colorful or bedazzled bobby pin.

Are those comfy pumps in need of something special for your big day? Attach your favorite sparkly hair clip to add just the right amount of flair.

Stop static cling on clothes—or tame flyaway hair—by rubbing a sheet over the problem area.

When working with a too-tiny-to-grip nail, slide it into the grooves of a bobby pin, then hold the end of the bobby pin as you hammer.

Roll up pairs of stockings or leggings and wrap hair ties around them to keep the rolls from unraveling. It will be easier to find a specific pair on mornings when you're, well, tight on time.

Give store-bought plastic eyeglasses a custom fit. Heat them with a dryer, then mold them to suit your face.

A little hot air quickly loosens price labels—with zero fingernail-chipping frustration.

Banish static cling in the winter with a quick spritz of hairspray on the areas that are bunching.

Thread a needle quickly by spraying the string’s end to prevent it from fraying and raising your frustration level.

Corral bobby pins and hair clips in a paper clip holder. The magnetic ring makes them easy to dispense.

Lift off hair-spray residue from bathroom walls. Spray a mixture of one part rubbing alcohol, two parts water, and a dash of dishwashing liquid onto vinyl wallpaper or semigloss (not flat) paint. Wipe clean.

Prevent gunk from settling into your hairbrush by pushing a swatch of stocking fabric over the bristles, so it rests on the base. When the brush needs cleaning, remove the swatch and hair and product buildup will go with it.

Store hair accessories on an empty TP tube by stretching elastics around the roll and sliding clips and bobby pins on one end.

When you don’t have time to let your styling tool cool (say, you’re headed for the airport or going straight to work from the gym), stash it in a heat-resistant mitt before packing it up.

Fake freshly washed hair by sprinkling powder on, then comb through down to the roots.