- How to get hair dye out of clothes at home
- What gets hair dye out of clothes?
- What to do if hair dye stains your clothes
You’ve dyed your hair, and you’re oh-so-happy with the result. It’s vibrant, bright, and looks incredible. There’s just one small problem — you got dye everywhere. When you look around at the fallout of your treatment, a wave of panic floods you. You have stained your favourite top or skirt with hair dye. The question is… What do you do next?
Learning how to get hair dye out of clothes can be tricky. After all, the entire point of dye is to dye things! When you notice a stain, you must act quickly to remove it. The following guide will examine what you need to know to get this right. Follow our advice to save your clothing and get rid of that hair dye stain for good.
How to get hair dye out of clothes at home
When you notice you have hair dye on your clothes, it’s essential to act quickly. The sooner you treat the hair dye, the more likely you are to get your clothes looking clean. When we talk about how to get hair-dye out of clothes at home, time is always of the essence. With that in mind, here are three initial steps you should take to clean your clothes:
1. Blot the stain
First things first, you need to blot the stain. You should get an old cloth (that you don’t mind ruining!) and blot the stain as much as possible. Don’t make the mistake of wiping the stain, or you will most certainly make the mark worse than it would otherwise be. Ensure you get any excess dye off the stain ahead of time. This move will help you later on!
2. Try a cold water rinse
Spoiler: You should never use hot water when you are trying to get an annoying stain out. Chances are that this approach will make the stain worse than usual. You want to attack the dye with cold water before the dye sets into the clothing. Run a sink full of cold water and then dip the entire garment into it. This method can be helpful when it comes to getting a hair dye stain out of clothes. Leave the clothing in there for 5-10 minutes before rinsing entirely.
Next, check out our tips on how to get a stain out of a white shirt.
3. Pretreat the stain
When you have followed the above steps, the next thing that you need to do is pretreat the stain. Start by using a small amount of mild or gentle detergent. You can apply this directly to the stain. Use a soft brush to massage the soap into the stain as much as possible. (Note: You never want to be too harsh with stains, or they may spread!) Leave the soap on the stain for between 20 to 25 minutes before rinsing again with cold water.
What gets hair dye out of clothes?
When you have followed the initial steps, the real work begins. Of course, you might find that the above helps remove the hair dye altogether. That’s great news! However, it is unlikely that the hair dye will shift that quickly. Once you have gone through the pretreatment process, you can try different approaches to help you get hair dye out of your clothes.
1. Use a commercial colour remover
Did you know that there are commercial colour removers out there? Often enough, this is how hairdressers ensure their clothes stay clean (aside from wearing mainly dark colours). If you are worried about the stain setting, you might want to buy one and try it yourself. Once you have got the pack, make sure that you read the instructions thoroughly and follow them down to the tee. That way, you give yourself the best chance of success. While not every colour remover will work, it’s worth trying these out.
2. Use hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a type of bleach that can help remove hair dye stains. If you consider this option, remember that you will be dying your clothing further. You should only use this harsh chemical if you believe no other option will work. This approach is only helpful when you have white clothing. This is one of the most common methods for learning how to get hair dye out of white clothes.
Start by making sure you wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. You should then mix an equal amount of hydrogen peroxide and water. Before treating the stain directly, you should test this solution on another hidden area of the clothing. That will give you a good idea of whether it will work. After that, you should next use the hydrogen peroxide on the stain. Leave it for around 3-4 minutes and then rinse. You can see if the solution is working and, if needed, leave it for a little longer.
Did you know there are loads more uses for hydrogen peroxide? Take a look!
3. Try using white vinegar
Want to know how to get hair dye out of clothes with vinegar? It may be easier than you imagine. White vinegar is acidic, meaning it can break down stains. That's why we love cleaning with white vinegar. Use a combination of white vinegar and water. If you want, you can put this solution into a spray bottle. That way, you can spray it directly onto the hair dye stain.
When applying the white vinegar solution to your stain, leave it to stand for a while. You may want to leave it for around 10 minutes, for example. Then, you should take the time to rinse the stain entirely. That should take no longer than a few minutes at the most. Once you have done that, you can see whether the solution has worked. If it has, you can throw your garment in the washing machine as you usually would for a gentle wash.
4. Use baking soda and water
Another household product you likely already have in your cupboards is baking soda. You can remove hair dye from your clothes if you have it on hand. Mix the baking soda with some water to form a thick paste. The thicker this is, the easier it will be to apply to your hair dye stain. When you have done that, you should apply it directly to the area. When applying the baking soda mix, you should use a rubbing or massaging technique.
Once you have done that, leave it for around 30 minutes. You will notice that the paste starts to dry and thicken up. Before you know it, you will have to chip away at it to get it off your clothing. At this point, you need to rinse the baking soda solution off your clothes thoroughly. Once again, you can see if this approach has worked immediately.
What to do if hair dye stains your clothes
Okay, you’ve tried the above, and nothing has worked. As a last resort, you may want to go to a dry cleaner and ask them to help you with a stain. These pros will be experts on how to get hair dye out of clothes. Should the garment be expensive or sentimental to you, you may want to take it to the dry cleaners in the first place.
And there you have it — plenty of ways to get hair dye out of clothes. Use our guide to help you decide which approach will work best for you. And remember, if you want to ensure the job gets done, go to the dry cleaners at the start!
Q&A
Did we miss something along the way? If the answer is yes, here are some frequently asked questions you may want to take a look at:
Can you remove hair dye from clothing?
The short answer is yes — sometimes. Whether you can remove hair dye from clothing depends on how fast you act, the type of material you use, and the hair dye you use.
Can detergent remove hair dye?
In some cases, you may be able to use regular detergent to remove hair dye from clothes. This approach tends to work best with brown or black-coloured dyes.
What removes hair dye?
The truth is that many different products can help you remove hair dye. Try a vinegar and water solution, baking soda and water, or hydrogen peroxide. Read our complete guide above to determine which is right for you.
Did our tips help? Let us know in the comments below!
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