How to get hair dye out of carpet – 6 steps to the rescue

Dyeing your own hair can be tricky enough at the best of times, but when a splash of dye gets on the carpet, it can be easy to feel that all is lost.

Luckily, through quick action and the right cleaning supplies, you can often save your carpet from permanent discoloration.

Here, n experienced carpet cleaning pro shares his stain removal golden rules to get hair dye out of carpet.

How to get hair dye out of carpet

For the best results, it's important to act fast with the right cleaning tips and the ultimate cleaning supplies for the job.

What you will need

• Clean paper towels
• Liquid soap, such as Dawn from Walmart
• White vinegar, also available at Walmart
• Warm water
• Three clean microfiber cloths, available in multipacks at Walmart
• A clean, dry towel
• Optional: oxygen bleach, such as OxyClean, from Walmart
• Optional: A dedicated stain remover. I like Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover, from Walmart

1. Clean up right away

The most important rule when dealing with most stains (apart from wax and play dough) is to work as quickly as you can to clean it before the liquid has time to dry.

Josh Miller, carpet cleaning expert and owner of Clean Carpets says, ‘Because of the nature of hair dye, it dries very quickly and so time is of the essence. Speed is essential when it comes to trying to erase hair dye stains. In fact, the sooner you act the better the chances of removing the stains permanently without inflicting much damage.’

The best way to deal with stains quickly is to set up a stain station in your home. This should be a portable kit that carries all the common cleaning tools and products required to remove a stain be it from your laundry or your household furnishings.

2. Soak up dye with paper towels

Just as you would remove food and drink stains from carpets, the first step is to remove as much excess product from the carpet as you can. Josh Miller, carpet cleaning expert says the best way to do this is a bumper towel.

‘Employ a clean and dry fabric or paper towel to soak as much dye as you can. When doing this, do not scrub as it will only lend to the dye getting further embedded into the fiber of the carpet.'

Stick to dabbing.

3. Create a DIY stain remover

As the paper towel starts to soak up some of the excess dye from the carpet, you should start mixing up the cleaning agent. For the best results, Josh Miller, cleaning expert, suggests cleaning with vinegar.

He says, ‘In a basin, mix one tablespoon of liquid soap, one tablespoon of vinegar and two cups of warm water. The soap-vinegar mixture works perfectly in dissolving the stain without getting rough on the carpets. You want to avoid bleach or any other strong chemical, as carpets cannot withstand such treatment.

‘Take a clean cloth and dip it into the prepared solution and press gently against the stained area or fabric. Blot surrounding stained area working inward to prevent stain from spreading out. Do not wet thoroughly as the excess water could ruin the carpet backing. Avoid rubbing the stain. This makes it worse since what happens is that the dye is pushed deeper on the fibers making it even more difficult to remove.’

Using too much water can also lead to mold in your carpet, or the layers beneath.

When the stain has lifted, use a separate clean cloth dampened with water to remove the soap and vinegar residue from the carpet fibers. Again, it is best to blot rather than rub to avoid spreading any dye around.

4. Follow up with oxygen bleach

Those first three steps should work, however, Josh Miller adds, ‘If the stain is still there, try using oxygen-containing stain removers such as OxiClean or Folex, available at Amazon, to deep clean a carpet. Apply it according to the instructions and let it work for the specified time before using a clean cloth to blot it.’

5. Repeat as required

Removing hair dye stains can require patience. More often than not, you will need to repeat the process for the best results Josh Miller, carpet cleaning expert warns.

‘If coloring your hair leaves unsightly stains behind, then removing them will often prove to be challenging. Do not hesitate to repeat the entire procedure, switching the soap for stain remover in between if needed.’

6. Let the area dry

Only when the dye stain is gone can you think about drying out the carpet. This process is easier if you have a carpet shampooing machine as it can suck the water out of the rug to prevent water stains or musty odors.

To clean a carpet without a machine, however, Josh Miller recommends, ‘pressing a cloth onto the stain and covering it with a heavy item such as a board. Leave it for a few hours so that the liquid can soak up the towel and dry whatever remaining moisture was in the place. Once dry to the touch, vacuum the area to lift the pile of the carpets.’

To speed up the drying process, you can opt to place a fan or the best dehumidifier near the uncovered wet spot, or open doors and windows to encourage air flow.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Following these cleaning steps quickly should help to prevent the stain from setting in permanently. However, if you don’t manage to remove all evidence of hair dye from your carpet, it might be worth consulting an expert who might have specialized commercial cleaning supplies and tools at their disposal.

Next, delve into rug cleaning mistakes to avoid.