How to Get Hair Dye Out of Clothes, Skin, the Tub and the Sink

To get hair dye out of clothes, skin, a tub or a sink, act while the dye is still wet: rinse with cold water, then work in liquid dish soap or a little rubbing alcohol and blot until no more color lifts. Fresh hair dye stains usually come out with these steps. Stains that have set for a day, or that went through a hot dryer, need repeated treatments and sometimes an oxygen bleach soak, and some will only fade rather than disappear.

Permanent and semi-permanent dyes are designed to bond with hair, which is why they cling to fabric fibers, skin and porous surfaces too. Speed matters more than any product.

How do you get hair dye out of clothes?

Rinse the stain from the back of the fabric under cold running water, then pretreat it before washing. Hot water can help set dye, so keep everything cold until the stain is gone.

Blot up any excess dye with a paper towel. Do not rub, which spreads it.
Turn the garment inside out and flush the stain with cold water until the water runs lighter.
Work a few drops of liquid dish soap into the spot with your fingers or a soft brush. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse.
If color remains, dab rubbing alcohol onto the stain with a clean white cloth, blotting with a fresh section each time as the dye transfers. Test it on a hidden seam first, since alcohol can lift dye from some fabrics.
For washable fabrics, soak the item in cool water with oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate) for several hours, following the label.
Wash on the warmest setting the care label allows, then check the spot before drying. Air-dry until the stain is completely gone.

On white cotton, chlorine bleach is a last resort, used diluted and exactly as the label says. The same rules apply as for other tough marks, covered in our guide to getting stains out of white clothes without ruining them. Silk, wool and dry-clean-only items should go to a dry cleaner; tell them the stain is hair dye.

What if the dye stain already went through the dryer?

A dried, heat-set dye stain can still lighten, but expect several rounds. Repeat the alcohol blotting, then a long oxygen bleach soak (overnight is common), then wash again. The approach is similar to treating ink that has been through the dryer, since both are dyes locked in by heat. If nothing changes after two or three cycles, the color has bonded to the fiber.

How do you get hair dye off your skin?

Wash the area with warm water and soap first, then use a gentle oil to loosen what is left. Dye on the hairline, ears and neck usually fades on its own within a few days of normal washing.

Rub a little baby oil, olive oil or coconut oil into the stain, leave it a few minutes, then wipe off and wash with soap.
Makeup remover or micellar water on a cotton pad works well along the hairline.
A small amount of non-gel toothpaste or a paste of baking soda and dish soap, rubbed gently, can help on hands. Rinse well.

Avoid harsh scrubbing, nail polish remover on large areas and any household cleaner on skin. Keep everything away from the eyes. If skin turns red, itches, swells or blisters, wash it off and contact a doctor, since hair dye can cause allergic reactions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises following the patch-test directions on hair dye packaging before each use.

Coating the hairline and ears with petroleum jelly before you dye prevents most skin stains in the first place.

How do you get hair dye out of a bathtub?

For a fresh splash, wipe it up and rinse, then scrub with a paste of baking soda and a little water or dish soap using a non-scratch sponge. Most enamel, porcelain and acrylic tubs come clean this way.

For a stain that has dried:

Spread a thick baking soda paste over the stain and leave it 15 to 30 minutes.
Scrub with a non-scratch pad, then rinse.
Try a melamine foam sponge (the white “eraser” type) with water, pressing lightly. It is mildly abrasive, so test a small area on acrylic and fiberglass first.
If a shadow remains on a white tub, a bathroom cleaner that contains bleach can lighten it. Use it alone, ventilate the room and rinse thoroughly.

Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia, rubbing alcohol or other cleaners, and rinse the tub completely between products. Check your tub maker’s care instructions before using bleach or abrasives on acrylic or fiberglass.

How do you get hair dye out of a sink?

Sinks follow the same steps as tubs, with a few material differences.

Porcelain and enamel: baking soda paste first, then a melamine sponge, then a bleach-based bathroom cleaner on white surfaces if needed.
Stainless steel: baking soda paste rubbed with the grain, then rinse and dry. Skip chlorine bleach, which can pit stainless steel.
Natural stone or cultured marble: use only mild dish soap and water, and check the manufacturer’s guidance. Acids and abrasives can etch stone, and stains in porous stone may need a poultice or a professional.

Grout and caulk absorb dye quickly. Scrub stained grout with baking soda paste and a small brush; badly stained caulk is often easier to replace.

How do you get hair dye out of towels and carpet?

Treat towels like any washable fabric: cold rinse, dish soap, then an oxygen bleach soak and a warm wash. Many people keep a dark towel just for dye days.

On carpet and upholstery, blot, never rub. Sponge on a solution of a little dish soap in cool water, blot with a dry white cloth, and repeat. Dab rubbing alcohol on what remains after testing a hidden spot. Rinse with plain water and blot dry. The same blot-and-rinse method is used for red wine on a couch. Call a professional carpet cleaner for wool rugs or large stains.

Which mistakes make hair dye stains worse?

Using hot water before the stain is gone, which helps set the dye.
Putting a stained garment in the dryer before checking it.
Rubbing, which spreads dye deeper into fibers and grout.
Mixing cleaners, especially bleach with anything else. Fumes from mixed products can be dangerous.
Using abrasive powders on acrylic tubs, which scratch the surface and make future stains cling.

Quick answers

Does hairspray remove hair dye stains?

Older advice suggests hairspray because many formulas contained alcohol. Plain rubbing alcohol does the same job without the sticky resins.

Will hair dye wash out of clothes on its own?

Fresh semi-permanent dye sometimes rinses out in a regular wash, but permanent dye usually leaves a mark unless you pretreat it first.

Is hydrogen peroxide safe for hair dye stains?

Three percent hydrogen peroxide can lighten dye on white, colorfast fabrics and white tubs, but it can bleach colored fabric. Test first and never combine it with other cleaners.

How do I keep dye off surfaces next time?

Lay an old towel over the counter, wear an old shirt, and wipe any drips right away with a damp cloth before they dry.