It's best to act immediately when you get hair dye on your denim clothing so you can prevent the possibility of the stain setting and marking the fabric permanently. While you may be tempted to treat your denim garment with a commercial stain remover and toss it quickly into the washing machine with some extra laundry soap, that may not be the best course of action. Instead, try removing the stain with one or more common household products or a liquid peroxide-based cleaner.
Things You'll Need
Clean, white, lint-free cloths
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
Dishwashing liquid detergent
Warm water
Small bowl or container
Spoon
White vinegar
Water
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Method 1
Step 1
Dampen a section of a clean, white, lint-free cloth with isopropyl rubbing alcohol and blot the hair dye stain. If you see hair dye transferring to the cloth, you may be able to remove most of the dye from the denim.
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Step 2
Apply more rubbing alcohol to a clean section of the cloth, once the section you are using becomes soiled with hair dye.
Step 3
Continue blotting the stain to remove the hair dye while using new sections of the alcohol-soaked cloth, as needed, until the hair dye stain is no longer visible to you.
Step 4
Allow the denim to completely air dry and then inspect the garment to see if the stain still exists. If the stain is gone, launder your garment as indicated on its care label. If the stain still exists, try one of the other cleaning methods detailed in this article.
Method 2
Step 1
Mix 1/4 cup of liquid dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of warm water in a small bowl or container. Use your hand or a spoon to agitate the solution and mix the soap into the water.
Step 2
Dip a section of a clean, white, lint-free cloth into the soap and water solution and blot the stain. If you note that the hair dye is coming off onto the cloth as you blot, keep working.
Step 3
Apply more soapy water to an unused part of the cloth, once the section you are using becomes tainted with the dye.
Step 4
Continue applying the cloth to the stain to soak up the hair dye while using new areas of the cloth soaked in the soapy water, as needed, until the hair dye stain is no longer apparent.
Step 5
Wait for the wet area of the denim to air dry. When dry, look to see if the stain is still present. If it's gone, wash the denim article according to its label care instructions. If the stain still exists, try one of the other cleaning methods detailed in this article.
Method 3
Step 1
Pour one cup of white vinegar and 2 cups of water in a container or bowl, and mix with a spoon.
Step 2
Place a section of a clean, white, lint-free cloth into the vinegar and water solution and press it to the hair dye stain for 10 to 15 seconds. Look at the section of the cloth. If you see hair dye on it, this method may help remove more of the stain, if not completely.
Step 3
Apply more vinegar and water solution to an unsoiled section of the cloth and press it to the stain.
Step 4
Continue applying the vinegar and water solution to the garment to remove the hair dye. Use unsoiled sections of the vinegar and water-soaked cloth, as needed, until you can no longer see the hair dye stain. Blot with a cloth soaked in plain warm water to rinse.
Step 5
Air dry the denim and then inspect the garment to see if the stain has disappeared. If it has, launder your garment as indicated on its care label.
Tip
If none of the above cleaning methods fully remove the hair dye, use a liquid based peroxide cleaner. Follow the product instructions for application.
Warning
If you attempt more than one of the cleaning methods above, be sure to allow the garment to fully dry between cleanings so that you will avoid mixing cleaners.