How to Remove Hair Dye From a Tub

Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Not all is lost when you find that your last dye job ended up leaving hair dye stains in your tub. Stains left on fiberglass, acrylic, cast-iron and porcelain enamel can be removed as long as you choose the right method. The color of the hair dye also affects the method used, because some dyes – like red – are harder to remove.

Fiberglass and Acrylic Tubs

Choose from one of four methods for hair dye stain removal to find the one that works for your fiberglass or acrylic tub:

Advertisement

Video of the Day

Video of the Day

  1. Fill your fiberglass tub with hot water; add four to five tablets of denture cleaner to the water. Let the solution sit in the tub overnight. In the morning, drain and wipe clean.
  2. Create a paste from borax and water. Use the paste to scrub the stain clean.
  3. Dampen a clean cloth and pour a bit of baking soda onto it. Scrub the stain with the baking soda-soaked cloth. Rinse and wipe clean.
  4. Spray the stain with 1/4 cup household bleach mixed with water in a 1-quart spray bottle. Allow the bleach to set on the stain until it lessens. Scrub clean with a soft cloth or sponge.

Advertisement

Porcelain and Cast-Iron Tubs

All the methods used for acrylic and fiberglass tubs also work on porcelain and cast-iron tubs and sinks to remove hair dye stains. Two more methods include:

  1. Crush two denture tablets onto a small plate with the back of a spoon. Add a few drops of water to the crushed tablets to make a fizzy paste. Rub the paste onto the stained areas of the tub. Let the paste dry for about 10 to 15 minutes. Wipe clean with a washcloth soaked in hot water.
  2. Wet a sponge with a powdered cleanser and scrub the area thoroughly. Rinse and wipe clean.

Advertisement

Red Hair Dye Removal

To remove red hair dye stains, wet the area with a sponge before applying a cloth dabbed with a bit of hair bleach. Hair bleach – the kind that removes color from hair when you want to recolor your hair – also removes red dye from all types of tubs.

You can also dab a cotton ball with a bit of acetone or nail polish remover to wipe off the red hair dye stain.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Report an Issue

screenshot of the current page

Screenshot loading...