How to Get Hair Color Out of Carpet

Permanent hair dye is great for changing your hair’s appearance and giving you a new look. However, hair color products stain other areas, like countertops, floors, and rugs, especially if you get too carried away while dyeing your hair. Learn how to get hair color out of carpet using basic and advanced cleaning techniques.

When applied to your hair, hair dye has a neutral color, and accidental splatters and spills often go unnoticed. You usually don’t discover hair dye stains until they turn purple. At this point, panic sets in as you find that wiping the carpet stain with a paper towel does not remove the dye.

While it may seem like you must replace the rug or pretend the hair dye stain doesn’t exist, there are ways to remove hair dye from carpeting. Some methods are ideal for cleaning away fresh dye stains, and others work wonders at getting rid of old hair dye stains. All you need is the correct cleaning solution for the job and a little elbow grease.

Ways to Get Hair Color Out of Carpet

It may seem like your rug is ruined after finding a carpet stain after coloring your hair. However, there are many ways to get this stubborn stain out of the carpet fiber. Here are some stain removal methods to help you restore your carpet’s original appearance.

Remove Hair Color from Carpet with Soapy Water

The most straightforward way to remove hair color from carpet if it’s fresh is to use paper towels and soapy water, and it is safe to use on all carpet types. Get a dye stain off the rug with some dish soap and water.

For the easiest way to get hair dye off a floor or the carpet, soak up as much of the color stain as possible with a paper towel and avoid spreading it outward. Start by using a blotting action to absorb the dye, and use fresh paper towels as needed.

Fill a container with warm water and add a small amount of laundry detergent or dish liquid soap. Dip the corner of a sponge or rag into the soapy water and apply it to the dye. Dab at the area to lift the stain, rinse the sponge with cool water, and repeat the steps until all hair dye is gone.

Get Hair Color Off Your Carpet with White Vinegar

White vinegar has many uses, and removing stains is one of our favorites. This acidic liquid loosens the dye from the carpet fibers for easy cleaning, and you probably have a bottle in your kitchen right now. Get hair color off your carpet with vinegar.

Pour two cups of water into a container and add a tablespoon of vinegar and dish soap. Dunk a clean cloth into the solution, wring it out, and use it to clean away the dye from the carpet fibers.

Alternate between cleaning the stain with the wet cloth and blotting it with a dry cloth until all the dye stain is gone. Finish by rinsing the area thoroughly with cool water.

How to Get Hair Color Out of Carpet Using Rubbing Alcohol

An old dye stain is one of the more stubborn stains to remove since it is already set in the carpet. Fortunately, rubbing alcohol cleans this stain type from the rug effectively. It’s simple to use alcohol to clean hair color from carpet.

Before using rubbing alcohol on your rug and removing dye from carpet, test it in an inconspicuous area first to ensure the liquid doesn’t cause discoloration. Pour a capful of rubbing alcohol onto the dye stain and blot it with paper towels. Rinse with water and dry it with a clean white cloth. If the fabric remains white, then all of the dye is gone.

Using Ammonia to Get Hair Dye Off Carpet

If the dye stain is large or old, the best way to clean it from the rug is with ammonia. While this is one of the more smelly cleaning methods, it works well to remove hair color from carpet.

Pour two cups of water into a container and add a tablespoon of ammonia and dish soap. Mix the ammonia solution thoroughly and apply it to the stained area with a sponge. Get the sponge damp and not soaked, and clean the spot with a circular motion until none of the dye remains. Rinse the spot clean with water and dry it with a towel.

Removing Hair Dye from a Rug with Nail Polish Remover

If you have a small dye stain on your carpet and a bottle of fingernail polish remover in the bathroom, you’re in luck. Many nail polish removers contain acetone, a solvent that dissolves stubborn stains. Discover how to get hair color off your carpet with acetone-based nail polish remover.

Apply some nail polish remover to a ball of cotton and dab at the dry color stain. Once the cotton is dirty, discard it and repeat the steps to remove the remaining dye from the carpet. Finish by cleaning the area with water and patting it dry with a towel.

If you do not have fingernail polish remover in the home, try hair spray. Spray the affected carpet area with hair spray, let it sit for five minutes, and rinse it with cold water.

Get Hair Dye Out of Carpets with Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is an antiseptic with mild oxidation properties. While we usually use it for cleaning cuts and scrapes, it’s useful for many other things, including removing stains and cleaning pee out of carpet and rugs. Use this miracle liquid to get a hair dye stain out of the carpet.

Pour some hydrogen peroxide directly onto the dye stain and let it sit overnight. Use just enough peroxide to soak the stain without saturating the rug. After the carpet is dry, dab at the stain with a damp sponge to lift the color and dry it with a towel.

Hydrogen peroxide can also be used to remove carpet burns from cigarettes or candles. This type of stain remover can help to clean small black stains on your rugs and carpet.

Baking Soda for Hair Color Stains

If you’re a home baker, you undoubtedly have a box of baking soda somewhere in your kitchen. This alkaline powder has many other uses besides cooking. Use it to get hair color off a rug or to remove hair color from clothing and skin.

Squeeze a tiny bit of liquid dish soap directly onto the color stain and sprinkle some baking soda over the top. The detergent helps loosen the dye, while the baking soda acts as mild sandpaper to gently scour it away from the carpet fibers.

Mix the two ingredients into a paste on the rug, and then scrub the stain in a circular motion with a toothbrush. Wipe away the paste with some paper towels and check to see if the stain is gone. When there is no stain remaining, rinse the area with clean water and blot the carpet dry with a towel.

Safely Use Bleach to Remove Hair Color from Carpet

While we generally avoid using chlorine bleach to clean around the home, there are times when this cleaner is necessary. However, using straight bleach causes discoloration and damage to carpets, and it’s vital to combine it with water to remove stains.

It’s crucial to dilute bleach with water since too much bleach takes the color out of fabrics and worsens the stain. Combine two cups of cool water with a tablespoon of bleach in a spray bottle and shake it well to combine. To be safe, test the cleaner on an inconspicuous area of your carpet before proceeding.

Spray the cleaner on the dye stain and use rags to blot the moisture. Continue dabbing at the stain with dry rags until no more dye is left on the carpet. Finish by rinsing away the bleach residue with clean water and drying the rug with a towel.

The only stain worse than a dye stain is a bleach stain. However, while a stain from bleach is permanent, hair color stains are relatively easy to remove, as long as you use the right hair dye stain removal technique for the job.

Knowing how to get hair color out of carpet means you don’t have to live with an unsightly stain, so why not share our carpet hair dye removers with your family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook?