Hair Dye Removal Tips For Clothes, Carpet & Other Fibers

Below I've collected hair dye removal tips for when you accidentally get drips or spills on your clothes, carpet and other fibers.


This is, honestly, one of the hardest types of stains to try to remove and I'm not going to lie -- sometimes nothing works.

The key is speed. I mean, lots of speed. Stopping to look up these instructions on the Internet might mean too much time has passed.

So, check out what has been suggested below by other readers and remember them for next time and try again, even if it doesn't work this time. (You can also check out my main page on the subject here.)

There are, almost always even more ways to remove hair color stains than what I've listed below, so if you've got a method that works I'd love to hear from you too. You can share your tips with me here and I'll add the best ones to the page.

Cosmetologists Agree: Use Hairspray If Get To It Quickly

by Lindsay

Lindsay says:

Hair spray removes hair color stain if caught quickly.

I'm a cosmetologist. If I get splattered with hair dye I don't try to rub it off unless it's a pretty big glob.

Then I spray as fast as I can and spray a good bit.

Let dry, and then wash like normal or if you're really worried put Dawn dish soap directly on it.

Let it soak into the stain while the washer is loading with water.

If the stain didn't come out repeat the dawn dish soap until it does.

And don't dry the clothes until it is out.

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for this tip Lindsay! It sounds like you use both the hairspray and dish soap in combination for removal.

There are lots of uses for hairspray for stain removal, as well as uses for dish soap. You've just combined them!

You're also not the only professional to share a similar tip with me. I also got this tip from Cari, who said:

Hairspray! Even in beauty school we'd use it to remove hair dye from our white smocks! It works!

Remove Hair Dye From Carpet With Hairspray

by Michelle

Michelle says:

Use Aqua Net hair spray (some other brands of hairspray also work..cheap harsh hairspray) to remove hair dye from carpet.

Don't be shy. Blast the stain with the Aqua Net (the white can works best).

Then immediately blot with the clean area of a towel.

Now, blast it again, and then blot with clean area of towel every time.

The idea is to transfer the hair dye from the carpet to the towel.

Don't rub it in. Blot.

It works great, and fast.

There is no need to wash the hairspray out. It will just dry up, so blot quickly while it's wet.

Hairspray {Referral Links}

Taylor says:

Thanks for your tip Michelle.

I would like to note that I would personally think it would be better to try to remove the hair spray from your carpet when you're done, than to leave it there, since it will leave a sticky area behind that can then attract dirt over time.

I would also like to note that if you're going to try hairspray Michelle is right, the cheaper the stuff the better. That is because it contains lots of rubbing alcohol which is the main ingredient that will help lift the spot or drip.

Of course, since it is the main ingredient you might just want to try the same blotting technique using plain rubbing alcohol instead of the hairspray!

You can learn more about my thoughts about using hairspray for cleaning and stain removal, including the pros and cons, as well as more uses for this hair product around your home.

*** Update: I got this as a reader tip obviously, and it works for Michelle, but another reader, Carrie saw the tip on Pinterest and told me in a comment she was going to try it. (I'd love it if you followed me by the way!) I asked her to tell me how it went, and this is what she told me:

It didn't work for me Taylor. It is a 3 week old stain though. I'll try it next time when it's fresh. I have successfully gotten ballpoint ink out of clothing with hairspray before.

That's disappointing Carrie, but I'm glad you told me. Perhaps you're right though, and this works best for fresh stains.

I did want to add this word of caution for everyone though, since I hadn't tried this tip myself. I would love to hear from others sharing if it worked better for new drips and spills! ***End Update

Stain Removal Hair Dye Ideas For Washable Fabric

The video below gives several ideas about stain removal of hair dye from washable fabrics.

Her ideas in the video include:

• Rubbing alcohol


• Turpentine (be very careful with this, and test in an inconspicuous area first)


• Hydrogen peroxide; and


• Lemon juice and cream of tartar

Here's the video for full details:



So what has worked for you for removing these spots from fibers? I'd love to hear. You can share your own tips here or read others already submitted, including for other surfaces including your skin or hard surfaces like a sink or counter.


Photo by Emily Carlin

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Stain Removal Tips & Tricks For Busy Moms

Clothing Stain Removal Tips & Tricks

Carpet Stain Removal Tips

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