How to Get Hair Dye Out of a Rug

Treat hair dye stains on your rug as soon as you spot them.

If you find a hair dye spot on your rug, don't panic. It doesn't have to be permanent. Take care when cleaning hair dye off your rug so you don't spread the dye around further. Also, the right products and methods must be used so you don't damage the rug during the process. Before you know it, the hair dye will have disappeared and your rug will look good once again.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. liquid dish soap
• Spoon
• White rags
• Rubbing alcohol
• 1 tbsp. household ammonia

Instructions

1. Pour 2 cups of warm water into a bowl. Add 1 tbsp. of white vinegar and 1 tbsp. of liquid dish soap. Stir up the mixture with a spoon.

2. Dip a white rag into the mixture, then sponge it onto the hair dye spot. Blot with a dry rag to absorb the liquid. Alternate sponging the stain with the liquid, then blotting with the dry rag until no more hair dye is coming out of the carpet.

3. Sponge the spot with a clean, white rag and cold water to rinse away any soap from the rug. Blot with a dry rag to absorb the moisture.

4. Dampen a rag with rubbing alcohol if the hair dye is still on the rug. Sponge the alcohol onto the rug, then blot with a dry rag to absorb the moisture. Alternate sponging on the alcohol, then blotting with the dry rag until the hair dye is no longer transferring to the rag. Rinse the area with a rag and cold water once you have removed as much of the hair dye as possible.

5. Mix together 2 cups of warm water, 1 tbsp. of liquid dish soap and 1 tbsp. of household ammonia if the dye stain is stubborn and still there. Sponge the solution onto the stain and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. Blot the area with more of the solution and a clean rag about every five minutes. Once the stain is gone, rinse the spot with a clean rag and cold water, then blot the area to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear rubber gloves and work in a well-ventilated area when using ammonia.

• Always test the cleaning solution you are using on an inconspicuous area of the rug prior to using it on a more noticeable area.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Stain Buster -- Hair Dye
• Stain-Removal-101: Hair Dye Stain Removal - How To Remove Hair Dye Stains