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If you've had a no-brainer moment and slopped hair dye on your favorite blouse or sweater, don't feel bad. Everybody has that regretful moment from time to time. Unfortunately, you can't turn back time and undo the damage. You can't procrastinate, because the longer the stain sits in your garment, the bigger the chance that you're stuck with a nice addition for your rag bag. If you act quickly, you may be able to save the day--and your garment.
Brown or Black Hair Dye
1.
Read the garment care tag, before you attack the stain. Take the garment to a dry cleaner, if indicated. Always test the stain removal technique on an inconspicuous place, before you attempt to remove the stain. Place a few drops of the selected stain remover on the material, then wipe the substance with an absorbent white cloth. If your white cloth is now the color of your garment, take the garment to the dry cleaners.
2.
Rub heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent gently into the stain. Rinse with warm water.
3.
Mix a solution of warm water and a color-safe powdered bleach, chlorine bleach or an oxygenated bleach, mixed according to the directions on the product label.Test the bleach solution on a seam before you soak the entire garment. Avoid chlorine bleach, which can harm your garment. Soak the garment for 15 minutes, then rinse.
Red Hair Dye
1.
Refer to the garment care label. If the label indicates that the garment should be dry cleaned, don't attempt to remove the stain by yourself. Before attempting to remove the stain, place a drop of the stain removal substance on the hem or another inconspicuous place. Wipe the damp spot with a white towel. If the color of the garments shows up on the white towel, the garment isn't colorfast, and it should be taken to a dry cleaner.
2.
Scrape any dried dye from the fabric, using a table knife. Mix 1 tbsp. ammonia and 1/2 tsp. liquid dish soap with 1 qt. warm water. Soak the garment in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes.
3.
Loosen the dye stain by rubbing the stain on the wrong side of the fabric, then soak the garment in the ammonia and dish soap solution for another 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
4.
Add 1 tbsp. white vinegar to 4 cups of warm water. Soak the garment in the vinegar solution for 30 minutes.
5.
Launder the garment with bleach if the tag indicates that bleach is appropriate. Use a regular chlorine bleach, a color-safe bleach or an oxygenated bleach.
Things You'll Need
1.Absorbent white cloth
3.Color-safe powdered bleach, chlorine bleach or oxygenated bleach
5.Liquid dish detergent
2.Heavy-duty laundry detergent
4.Ammonia
6.White vinegar
Tips & Tricks
If the final bleach treatment doesn't remove the hair dye from your garment, you may be able to salvage the garment by using a commercial color remover, depending on the type of fabric. Color remover will remove not only the stain, but the color of your garment. Use the product according to the directions on the package label. You may then be able to re-dye the garment, using a commercial dye product.
Never dry the garment until the stain has been removed. The heat of the dryer will set in the stain and make it more difficult--or perhaps impossible--to remove.
Related Videos
References
University of Illinois Extension: Hair Dye, Black or Brown
University of Illinois Extension: Hair Dye, Red
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