How to get hair dye out of clothes
To get hair dye out of clothes, flush the stain from the back with cool water immediately, work in liquid detergent and rinse, then soak colored clothes in oxygen bleach and cool water for several hours, or soak whites in equal parts white vinegar and cool water or a weak chlorine bleach solution. Wash and air-dry. Permanent hair dye forms its color by a chemical reaction, and that reaction can happen inside fabric fibers too, so speed matters and set dye may only lighten.
- Best method
- Cool flush, detergent, bleach soak safe for the fabric
- Time
- 15 minutes, then a soak of several hours and a wash
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Stain type
- Dye
You will need
- Cool water
- Liquid laundry detergent
- Oxygen bleach, for colored clothes
- White vinegar or chlorine bleach, for whites
- Gloves
How to remove hair dye from clothes
- 1
Flush from the back right away
Put on gloves, turn the garment inside out and run cool water through the back of the stain until the water runs as clear as it will get.
Why: Fresh dye is still developing. Flushing removes the dye mixture before it finishes reacting and locks color into the fibers.
- 2
Work in liquid detergent and rinse
Rub liquid laundry detergent into the stain and rinse thoroughly with cool water.
Why: Detergent removes loose dye and the cream or gel base it was mixed in.
- 3
Colored clothes: soak in oxygen bleach
Mix oxygen bleach into cool water as the package directs and soak the garment for several hours.
Why: Oxidizing bleach breaks down the dye molecules that formed in the fabric without stripping most garment dyes.
- 4
Whites: vinegar or weak bleach soak
Soak white clothes in equal parts white vinegar and cool water for several hours. Or, on white fabric whose label allows it, use a weak chlorine bleach solution following the bottle. Never use both at once.
Why: Both are Iowa State Extension's options for dye stains on whites. Vinegar and chlorine bleach together release chlorine gas.
- 5
Wash, air-dry and check
Launder as usual and hang to dry. If the mark has faded but not gone, repeat the soak.
Why: Dryer heat can set leftover dye, and repeat soaks often lighten it further.
- 6
Last resort: color remover
If dye remains on a white garment, try a commercial color remover following its directions, after testing on a hidden area.
Why: Color remover strips stubborn dye, but it can also strip the garment's own color, so it's not for colored clothes.
Why hair dye behaves like a real dye job on fabric
Permanent hair color starts as colorless chemicals, mixed with a hydrogen peroxide developer and usually ammonia. Once mixed, they react to form large colored molecules inside the hair shaft. On fabric, the same reaction can happen inside the fibers, so a hair dye stain isn't surface dirt; it's closer to the fabric having been dyed. Iowa State Extension lists hair dye among dye stains.
That's why the first minutes matter most, while the color is still developing, and why the later steps are bleach soaks rather than scrubbing. Henna is a special case: its dye reacts with protein, so it binds especially strongly to wool and silk, which are protein fibers like hair.
By situation
Dye that's already dried or been washed
Washed and dried hair dye is usually set. Repeated oxygen bleach soaks may lighten it on colors; on whites, chlorine bleach or color remover are the remaining options. Complete removal isn't guaranteed.
Towels and capes used while dyeing
Rinse them right away and don't leave them in a damp pile, where dye keeps developing and can transfer to other items. Wash them separately from other laundry.
Henna on clothes
Henna's dye binds to protein, so it clings especially strongly to wool and silk. On cotton and synthetics, treat it like other hair dye: rinse, detergent, then a bleach soak safe for the fabric.
Wool, silk and dry-clean-only items
Wool and silk take up hair dye readily and can't have chlorine bleach. Rinse with cool water and take the item to a dry cleaner, telling them it's hair dye.
Dye on carpet, a sink or a tub
Other surfaces need other methods. See hair dye on carpet, which often ends with a professional.
What not to do
- Don't use chlorine bleach on colored, wool, silk or spandex items. It damages these fibers and strips many garment dyes.
- Don't mix vinegar or ammonia with chlorine bleach. The combinations release toxic gases. Rinse out vinegar fully before any bleach.
- Don't machine-dry until you've checked the stain. Heat can set the remaining dye.
Other methods that work
Rubbing alcohol on fresh dye
Sometimes dabbed on to lift fresh dye before it sets. It isn't in the cited fabric guides, so it's traditional, with weak evidence.
Caution: It can fade garment dyes and is flammable. Test first.
Hair dye stain remover wipes
Products sold for removing dye from skin are made for skin, not fabric. There's no source showing they work on clothes.
Caution: Test on a hidden area if you try one, and wash afterward.
Stain still there?
The stain faded but a tint remains
Repeat the oxygen bleach soak, or the vinegar or bleach soak on whites, for several more hours. Some set dye only lightens.
The garment's own color faded
The bleach or color remover affected the fabric's dye. Stop and rinse. This is why chlorine bleach and color remover are for whites only.
Safety
- Wear gloves. Hair dye ingredients can cause skin allergies.
- Never mix vinegar or ammonia with chlorine bleach.
Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.
Questions
Can you get hair dye out of clothes?
Sometimes. Rinse it immediately, pretreat with detergent, then soak in oxygen bleach for colors or vinegar or chlorine bleach for whites. Dye that has set may only lighten.
Does vinegar get hair dye out of clothes?
On white clothes, Iowa State Extension lists a soak of equal parts white vinegar and cool water for several hours as one option. Rinse it out before any bleach.
How do you get hair dye out of towels?
Rinse them right after use and wash separately. For stains, soak white towels in vinegar and water or weak chlorine bleach, and colored towels in oxygen bleach.
Is hair dye permanent on clothes?
It can be. Permanent dye reacts inside fibers much like it does in hair, so the faster you rinse, the better the chance it comes out.
Hair dye on other surfaces
Other stains on clothes
Sources
- Quick and Easy Stain Removal for Clothing (HS 305, May 2026), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Stain Removal for Washable Fabrics (HE 2-840), University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
- Quick Stain Removal Guide (L-5199), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- Hair coloring, Wikipedia
- Lawsone, Wikipedia
- Chlorine gas: What happens if you mix bleach and other cleaners, National Capital Poison Center (Poison Control)
Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.