Lace wigs are easy to take of while it is on top of your head, but once you take it off it is going to require some tender, loving care to bring it back to like-new conditions.
Here are Five Easy Steps for Cleaning and Renewing Your Lace Wigs.
This will help you remove any glue, adhesive, or other bonding agents from the lace wig bases as well as the hair itself.
Do not follow these steps if your wig is made from silicone or has silicone bits in it.
Items needed:
- Adhesive Remover (such as C22 Citrus Solvent)
- Mild Shampoo (such as any wig shampoo)
- Hand Dish Washing Liquid
- Plastic/Metal Container
- Sink
- Toilet Paper
- Measuring spoons, teaspoon
Step One.
Remove the adhesive or tape. Start from the polyurethane areas of your lace wig and remove the tape. Use your fingernail to gently scrape up the edge of the tape to start the peeling.
Warning: Do not peel away or remove any tape from the lace areas, otherwise you could damage the wig.
Quick Tip: Having problems getting the tape off? Try soaking your lace wig in the adhesive remover first (step 2) for several hours before peeling it off. If you do soak it first, use a piece of toilet paper to get a better grip on the tape because it may be slippery.
Step Two.
Soak the lace wig in a plastic or stainless steel container. Soaking times may vary (from 20 minutes to 24 hours) depending on the type of lace wig and adhesive you’re using.
Quick Tip: If you have tape on the lace areas of your wig, they should naturally release after about 5-30 minutes of soaking and float to the top of the solvent. (Again, you may need to adjust the soak time if using a higher tack tape) Simply scrap the strips of tape from the container as they’re released.
Step Three.
Clean your lace wig. Remove your lace wig from the solution and lay it in a sink face up (the hair will be on the bottom). To clean the lace areas gently brush the swollen adhesive residue with a finger nail brush to loosen and break it free.
Quick Tip: To clean the skin areas use a teaspoon by scraping any excess residue off with gentle, short vertical strokes. After getting most of the excess residue off, place your wig back into the container full of solvent for 2-3 more minutes.
Step Four.
Rinse your lace wig. Move your wig from the solvent back into the sink. Squirt a lot of hand dish washing liquid onto the base while it is still dripping wet with solvent. Any remaining adhesive residue should have lost all tack. Gently glide the fingernail brush across the edge of the base and out through the hair — all the remaining adhesive residue should slide off easily. After a few minutes of brushing, rinse your wig with high pressure lukewarm water down through the base. (Repeat this step a second time.)
Quick Tip: If there is still adhesive residue in your hair system, you probably didn’t soak it in the solvent long enough. Go back and repeat step 2.
Step Five.
Shampoo and condition your lace wig. Finally, after rinsing thoroughly, wash the unit again. This time use a mild shampoo to balance the acid level.
Quick Tip: Don’t forget to condition your lace wig.
Your lace wig should now be clean and clear of any old adhesive residue. Regular cleaning is recommended to keep your lace wig looking fresh and beautiful.