How To Remove Hair Dye From Carpet in 5 Easy Steps
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Dying your hair could be fun and exciting until you spill some of it on your carpet. It’s a frustrating experience, given that most hair dyes are permanent. Although the damage might be devastating, acting fast could help restore the carpet and salvage it, saving you replacement costs or seeking professional carpet cleaners.
It might sound easier said, but how exactly do you remove hair dye from a carpet?
Blot the wet hair dye using a clean and dry piece of cloth or a paper towel. Next, make a mixture of lukewarm water, white vinegar, and dish soap, and spray it on the stain while dabbing with a dry cloth until the stain starts to fade. Then, spray cleaning alcohol while dabbing to remove the remaining stains.
That’s not all, as you still need to know the steps in detail and how to deal with permanent or older hair dye carpet stains, which you will learn if you read on in this article.
Steps of Removing Hair Dye from Carpet
Carpets and hair dye don’t mix. And whenever these two come in contact, the results are not desirable. Hair dye might work wonders when changing the color of your hair, but it might damage the carpet, especially if you don’t notice the stains earlier on.
Taking swift action once the hair dye stains your carpet could save you carpet replacement costs or hiring a professional cleaner. These steps will help you deal with the stains immediately before the carpet is damaged.
1. Isolate the Area
Start by removing anything that has come in contact with the hair dye, including the brush and gloves. Doing so will help to prevent the spread of dye to other areas of the carpet, leaving you with a manageable portion to clean. Check whether you have stepped on any drops and wear sandals to avoid further spreading.
2. Blot the Wet Hair Dye
Take a dry piece of cloth or paper towels and blot the wet dye to soak as much of the dye as possible. Remember to not scrub as this would spread the dye into other areas. Repeat this until the stain has dried enough and you’ve gotten a good portion of it.
3. Use Home Ingredients to Make a Cleaning Solution
Measure two glasses of lukewarm water and add in one tablespoon of white vinegar and a tablespoon of dish detergent. Stir gently and pour the mixture into a sprayer. Spray the stained spot and dab using a clean piece of cloth or a paper towel. Make sure you alternate between a wet and dry cloth until the spot dries up.
Remember to be gentle to avoid pushing the stain further into the carpet. Repeat this until the stain starts to fade, or if you’re lucky until the stain goes away.
4. Use Rubbing Alcohol
If the stain doesn’t go away after using the water, dish detergent, and vinegar solution, it’s time to clean with alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol is the best product for this work as it’s gentle on fabrics. Spray a tablespoon of the alcohol on the stain and blot with a dry piece of cloth.
- Six 32-fluid ounce bottles of first aid antiseptic
- First aid to help prevent risk of infection from minor cuts, scrapes and burns
- Active ingredient: 91% isopropyl alcohol
5. Rinse the Spot with Cold Water
Measure a liter of water and rinse the spot to get rid of the remaining stain and the cleaning solution. Dab the area with a sponge to soak up the water, but be gentle in case there is some stain left.
What about Stubborn Stains?
Sometimes you might stain the carpet without knowing it, only to realize the damage later. Although dried hair dye might be hard to remove from a carpet, it’s far from impossible to clean it.
You only need proper supplies and patience. Instead of using white vinegar, you’ll need ammonia, which is reliable for dealing with tuff stains. Here’s how you do it:
1. Prepare the Spot
Spray the spot with lukewarm water and dab with a paper towel, and let it sit for five minutes. Doing so will help to wet the stain, making it easier to clean. Repeat this twice using water alone.
2. Make the Ammonia Cleaning Solution
Buy ammonia from the local supply store if you don’t have any, add one tablespoon of this chemical into two cups of water, and add in a tablespoon of dish detergent. Stir to make a solution, spray it on the spot, and dab with a paper towel. Repeat this several times with an interval of five minutes until the stain starts to fade.
Note: Avoid using ammonia solution on woolen carpets since it can cause irreversible damage.
Rinse the spot with clean water until the stain is not visible anymore.
How about Older Stains?
Older stains of any kind are hard to remove from a carpet, but you can clean them with the right supplies. Although the ammonia solution works, it might not be safe for woolen carpets.
That’s why you should consider using Johnson’s Baby Shampoo since it’s generally safer on most types of fabrics. However, for this to work, the dye should be water-soluble.
Start by wetting the spot with enough water and add a few drops of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Dab the spot with a sponge and rinse with cold water. Repeat this process until the stain is gone.
Other commercial products can work, including:
- Alberto V05 Hair Spray – however, the acetone in this chemical can change the carpet’s color. Ensure you test it on a small portion of a carpet, preferably the corner.
- Sea Breeze Astringent – it works well but has bleaching capabilities which can damage the carpet.
- Gently Removes Dulling Excess Oils and Dry Scalp Cuticle.
- For a More Thorough Shampoo and Healthy-looking Hair.
- Freshens Forehead after Perming and Coloring the Hair.
Outro
Staining your carpet with hair dye is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. The stains are strong and stubborn, and you need to act quickly to clean them out.
Using a mixture of water, dish detergent, and white vinegar helps to clean out fresh stains. Substituting white vinegar for ammonia helps to clean out dried stains. You should try Johnson’s Baby Shampoo for older stains, which is gentle on many fabrics. It’s important to dab the stain and not scrub it to prevent it from spreading.
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