Stains in the bathroom are nothing new. In most places the water is going to be hard enough to leave a ring or residue over enough time and that’s even before adding in things like dirt, muck, and whatever else needs to be washed off from a shower. Whether cleaning up a bathtub or sink, if you dye your hair frequently it’s likely only a matter of time until there are some stains from the dye.
If there’s any type of an accident or tip over there might be some struggle getting residual staining out of the tub, and in those situations getting a treatment quickly is crucial even if it is a temporary solution before going with the more thorough deep clean solution.
Seeing a large, glaring stain in your bathroom sink or bathtub just isn’t good and is the type of constant reminder of a previous accident that can become a permanent hassle to those of us with OCD tendencies.
The good news is that there are multiple options for helping to remove hair dye stains out of your sink or bathtub in the bathroom. Read on to learn more!
Best Products for Removing Hair Dye Stains in Your Bathroom
The quicker the action when hair dye stains the sink, the better. If you can catch the spillage when it happens, you not only have more options but your are more likely to get the dye removed fast and completely.
There’s more than one common item that can work, though for a dried stain professional cleaning products will almost certainly be necessary. But let’s jump into the products that are your first line of defense!
Nail Polish Remover (Acetone-based)
If you have nail polish remover in the bathroom, then in all likelihood you have all your need to make sure that errant hair dye doesn’t stain! You will need nail polish remover that is acetone-based, since this is the active ingredient that can do a number even on nasty stains from hair dye. Not all nail polish remover will do, this specifically needs to be Acetone-based remover.
This is best for smaller spots or sections, but it is an effective way to break down the major chemical parts of hair dye and prevent it from becoming a permanent marking or run on the basin.
The one very important caveat: don’t use this method on a freshly or recently painted surface. For obvious reasons an Acetone-based nail polish remover will also
Recommended Brand: Any will honestly do, but it’s hard to argue with Pronto Pure Acetone Nail Polish Remover as it’s a popular choice with professionals, inexpensive, and highly rated by users in general.
Hairspray
There are plenty of bathrooms with hairspray, and plenty that do not. However, if yours is one that has hairspray and you see the hair dye drop into the sink or bathtub then the quick action of spraying hairspray over it, and then taking cotton balls and dabbing it can be a fast and smart way to remove the dye before it can leave a permanent mark or stain.
This has to be a fast, almost immediate treatment but it can prevent a stain from setting in since the alcohol in most hairsprays tend to bind on a molecular level with many of the ingredients in nail polish that cause it to stick and harden. use hairspray, then dab away quickly. Don’t wipe, but dab.
Recommended Brand: Any brand with alcohol as an ingredient works, and there really isn’t one that works better than another.
Rubbing Alcohol
This is an ideal solution when dealing with very specific surfaces in a small area. If this isn’t a stain from a large amount of dye but just a couple specks, putting rubbing alcohol straight on a cotton ball and using that to dab at the stain and remove it before it has a chance to fully set. Dab repeatedly with the alcohol and then rinse thoroughly. Repeat as needed.
Recommended Brand: Vaxxen Lab Stores Isopropyl Alcohol
Borax
Borax is a classic solution to getting stains out and no one should be surprised that when it comes to cleaning bathtubs or sinks that this great cleaning product shows up again. With hair dye stains, expect to still need to put some muscle into scrubbing, but otherwise simply follow the rules for using Borax, but some arm muscles into the scrubbing step, and then rinse off afterwards.
This is a good cleaner to have for those deep bathroom cleanings, anyway, so using it for this specific type of staining also very much makes sense. Borax has been a classic answer for bathroom cleaning needs and it is once again one of the best options out there when it comes to taking care of this very specific type of cleaning situation.
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Does Baking Soda Work?
A baking soda mixture can work with removing hair dye from hair, but it’s not going to be nearly as effective on bathroom surfaces for sinks or tubs. While this can be worth trying if you have nothing else on hand to try to minimize the effects, the baking soda and water mixture is better for use on person versus the sink or tub.
So while baking soda is pretty amazing for a wide variety of reasons, it’s not the right solution in this particular situation.
That doesn’t mean I don’t recommend having a box around – I actually do because of the many positive applications it has in baking and outside of it as well, but it’s not a mixture that you want for removing hair dye from the various common surfaces that are in the bathroom.
Many Options for Removing Hair Dye
There are many options here and whether the dye stain is on tile, enamel, or acrylic, you have plenty of options for making sure that your bathroom goes back to its original pristine condition once again, free of any errant hair dye that might have caused some problems earlier.
The four main options outlined in this article are in addition to some industrial bathroom cleaning agents that could also do some serious heavy duty work. However, those main four options will take care of most situations as long as they are applied quickly and proper follow-up actions are then taken.
There’s no reason to live with an unsightly stain when there are so many ways to remove it without leaving any trace of the old accident.
Bathroom Hair Dye Removal: In Conclusion
Whether it was due to a prank, a poor hair dying experiment, or just trying a new brand and it goes a bit sideways, there are many times when a little extra dye can end up where it shouldn’t, even for individuals who are used to dying their hair. Knowing how to clean up the spilled dye without damage is good little bit of knowledge that makes sure no matter how crazy you or someone in your house decides to get with the hair dye, you can return your bathroom right back to the pristine condition it once was.
So make sure to apply what you’ve learned here the next time you have any issues with hair dying going amuck in your bathroom!
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