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Trips to the hair salon for a color job are expensive and don't always fit into our budgets. That's why many of us opt to use at-home hair coloring. While dyeing your hair at home will save you some money, it's definitely a messy job. Try as you might, you will likely end up getting hair dye somewhere other than your head---on your shirt, pants or maybe even your upholstery. Fortunately, you can remove hair dye from fabric in no time. Not only will your hair look good, you'll save some money and salvage that stained shirt or couch.
Removing Hair Dye from Clothing
1.
If the clothing is white and chlorine bleach is safe to use, soak it in a bucket with one gallon of cool water and ¼ cup of bleach. Leave it for 30 minutes, rinse in cool water and launder as usual.
2.
For colored fabrics, combine one gallon of cool water and one cup of household ammonia. Hold the stained portion of the fabric over a separate bucket and use a small cup to slowly pour the ammonia solution onto the dye spot so it drains through the clothing. Do this several times until the dye is gone. Rinse in cool water and launder as usual.
3.
Mix a solution of equal parts white vinegar and cool water into an empty spray bottle if the stain persists. Spray it onto the spot and blot with a clean rag. Switch to clean portions of the rag frequently and continue blotting until the stain is gone. Rinse under cool water and launder as usual. Vinegar is safe to use on both colored and white fabrics.
Removing Hair Dye from Upholstery
1.
Fill a bowl with two cups of cold water. Add one tablespoon of liquid dish soap and one tablespoon of white vinegar.
2.
Blot the stained upholstery with a clean white rag dampened with the solution. Let it sit for 30 minutes, blotting the spot every five minutes with a clean portion of the rag and more of the vinegar solution.
3.
Rinse the solution from the upholstery with a rag dampened with cold water. Blot with a dry rag to absorb any moisture.
4.
Sponge rubbing alcohol onto the stain with a clean white rag. Blot with a separate rag until no more dye transfers from the upholstery to the rag. Rinse the solution from the area by blotting with a rag and cold water.
5.
If the dye stain persists, combine one tablespoon of household ammonia, one teaspoon of liquid dish soap and two cups of cool water. Dab the mixture onto the stain with a clean white rag. Let it sit for 30 minutes, blotting every five minutes with a clean portion of the rag and more of the ammonia solution. Rinse the solution from the upholstery by dabbing with a rag dampened with cold water. Dry by blotting with a clean rag.
Never mix bleach and ammonia or bleach and vinegar. The fumes produced by combining these ingredients can be toxic.
Always test the product you are using on an inconspicuous area of the fabric prior to applying it to a more noticeable area.
Do not place stained clothing in the dryer until you are sure all of the dye is gone. The heat from the dryer can set the stain.
