Hair Dye Stain Removal Tips
When dyeing your hair, clean up any spills or drips immediately to prevent stains from setting, as they become difficult to remove once they have dried. Cover countertops and floors with old towels, sheets or newspaper to avoid staining these surfaces, and wear old clothes during the dyeing process. If you must walk around or leave the house during the dyeing process, wrap plastic cling wrap over your hair to prevent the dye from dripping and causing stains. If dye does drip and stain a surface, act quickly to prevent permanent stains.
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Clothing
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If you cannot wash hair dye-stained clothing right away, spritz a hairspray containing alcohol directly onto the stain to saturate the fabric. This will help loosen the stain and make it easier to remove later, according to Good Housekeeping. Soak stained clothing in a mixture of 1/4 cup of liquid chlorine bleach and one gallon of cool water for 30 minutes if the clothing can be bleached. Read the care label on the back of the garment's tag to determine if bleach is safe to use without damaging the clothing. Substitute 1 cup of ammonia for the bleach if the label reads "Do Not Bleach" or "Non-Chlorine Bleach When Needed." Never mix bleach and ammonia together or use both products on the same article of clothing, because they create dangerous fumes when combined. Rinse the clothing in cool water after soaking and wash as you would normally. Check the clothing after the wash cycle and repeat if necessary to remove the stain. Once the clothing has been dried, any remaining stains will probably be permanent.
Carpet and Upholstery
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Mix together a cleaning solution of 2 cups water, 1 tbsp. dish soap and 1 tbsp. white vinegar. Dip a white rag into the mixture and gently blot hair dye stains on your carpet or upholstered furniture. The dye will gradually begin to transfer to the white rag as you work. Wet the rag in the cleaning solution as necessary and continue blotting until the stain has been removed or significantly faded. Wet a sponge in cold water and blot the stain again to remove as much of the cleaning solution as possible without saturating the carpet or upholstery. Wet a sponge with rubbing alcohol and use it to blot stubborn stains. Rinse the rubbing alcohol away with a wet sponge when the stain is gone.
Counters and Floors
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Remove hair dye stains on bathroom countertops and floors by scrubbing with standard bathroom cleaners containing bleach. If you would rather not use harsh chemicals or if you are concerned about damaging a natural stone surface such as marble, use a homemade poultice instead. Combine hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to create a paste of toothpaste-like consistency. Cover the stain with a thick layer of the mixture. Place a layer of plastic cling wrap over the poultice and tape the edges of the cling wrap in place to prevent it from coming loose. Remove the plastic wrap from the poultice after 24 to 48 hours. When the poultice is completely dry and starts to crack, gently scrape it away with a rubber spatula.
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