How to get hair dye out of a sink

How to remove hair dye from a sink

1. 1

   Rinse the dye off right away

   Run warm water over every splash as soon as you're done applying color, including the faucet base, drain rim and overflow hole. Wipe with a sponge as you rinse.

   Why: Permanent hair color is still reacting after it's mixed. Rinsing it off before the reaction finishes leaves far less to remove.

2. 2

   Wipe with dish detergent

   Put a few drops of dish detergent on a soft, damp sponge and wipe the stained areas, then rinse.

   Why: Detergent removes the cream base and loose dye. Mild dish detergent and warm water are safe on every sink material.

3. 3

   Identify the sink material

   Bathroom sinks are often vitreous china or porcelain enamel, and kitchen sinks are often stainless steel. Vanity tops may be natural stone, cultured marble or another composite. Check the maker's care guide if you're not sure.

   Why: Abrasives scratch stainless and dull enamel, acids etch stone, and composites need cleaners made for them.

4. 4

   Apply a gentle paste to what's left

   Mix baking soda with a little water into a paste and rub it gently over the stain with a soft sponge. On white porcelain or enamel, a paste of powdered oxygen bleach and water is the stronger option. Leave it only a few minutes.

   Why: Baking soda is a mild abrasive for stainless steel and enamel. Oxygen bleach is the same oxidizer extension guides use for dye on fabric, and it breaks down the colored molecules.

5. 5

   Rinse completely and repeat if needed

   Rinse the paste off thoroughly with water. If the stain is fading, repeat once or twice rather than leaving the paste on longer.

   Why: Sink makers warn against letting cleaners soak on the surface, and short repeats are gentler on glazes and finishes.

6. 6

   Dry the sink

   Wipe the basin and faucet dry with a towel.

   Why: Water left to evaporate leaves mineral spots, and a dry surface shows you what dye, if any, remains.

Why hair dye stains a sink

Permanent hair color is an oxidative dye. Colorless precursors are mixed with a developer, hydrogen peroxide, and usually ammonia, and the reaction builds large colored molecules. That reaction keeps going on anything the mixture touches, so a splash left sitting darkens over time. It's a dye stain, not surface dirt, which is why it can resist plain scrubbing.

On a glazed or stainless sink, the dye mostly sits on the surface and in fine scratches, so it usually comes off. Porous materials, like natural stone, grout and caulk, absorb it. The general approach for other surfaces is on the hair dye stain page.

What each sink can take

Porcelain enamel and vitreous china: soft sponge only, no scouring pads or harsh powders, which dull the glaze. Don't let cleaners sit, and rinse immediately. Stainless steel: baking soda paste, wiped with the grain. If you use any chlorine product, rinse it off promptly, because chlorides can corrode stainless. Natural stone: no acids such as vinegar or lemon, which etch marble and limestone.

Composite, solid-surface and cultured marble: use the cleaner the maker recommends. For a stain in a tub rather than a sink, see hair dye in a tub.

By situation

Fresh splashes

Warm water and a detergent wipe within a few minutes often remove hair dye completely from porcelain, enamel and stainless steel.

Dried or set dye

Use the baking soda or oxygen bleach paste in short rounds. Old stains may take several passes and may only lighten in fine scratches or worn glaze.

Marble or natural stone vanity

The University of Georgia's method for dye on marble starts with warm sudsy water, then lays a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol and wrung almost dry over the stain for 5 minutes, followed by a pad dampened with ammonia, alternating the two. Wipe with clear water and dry. Never use vinegar or other acids on stone.

Stainless steel kitchen sink

Stainless rarely holds dye for long. Use a baking soda paste and a nylon pad, wiping with the grain. Avoid steel wool, which scratches and leaves iron particles that rust.

Dye on grout, caulk or the drain stopper

Grout and silicone caulk are porous and can soak up dye. Clean them gently with detergent and a soft brush. If the color stays, a stained caulk bead can be replaced.

Composite or cultured marble sink

Use mild dish detergent and the maker's recommended cleaner. Test any paste in a hidden spot, and skip abrasives and solvents unless the care guide allows them.

What not to do

• Don't use steel wool or harsh scouring powder. They scratch stainless steel and dull enamel glaze, which gives future dye more places to cling.
• Don't leave cleaners or pastes soaking on the sink. Sink makers say to rinse cleaners off right away. Chlorine left on stainless steel can corrode it.
• Don't use vinegar or acidic cleaners on natural stone. Acids etch marble, limestone and other calcareous stone.
• Don't mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar. Hair dye contains ammonia, and bleach plus ammonia makes chloramine gas. Bleach plus an acid makes chlorine gas.

Other methods that work

Tub, tile and sink cleaner

A cleaner labeled for enamel and vitreous china, used as directed, is a reasonable next step on porcelain if the pastes don't fully work.

Caution: Rinse well, and don't combine it with other cleaners or with dye residue that contains ammonia.

Rubbing alcohol

Often suggested for fresh dye on hard surfaces, and part of the University of Georgia's method for dye on marble and resilient floors.

Caution: It's flammable, so ventilate. Test it on composite sinks, where solvents may not be allowed.

Stain still there?

A faint tint stays in one patch

The glaze there may be worn or finely scratched, which holds color. Repeat the paste in short rounds. If the glaze is chipped or crazed, a refinisher can repair it.

The stainless sink looks dull after cleaning

Rinse well, dry it, and wipe with the grain using a soft cloth. Avoid harsher abrasives next time.

Dye on a stone vanity won't lift

Stone has absorbed the dye. Repeat the alcohol and ammonia pads, and call a stone care professional if it stays.

Safety

• Wear gloves: hair dye ingredients such as p-phenylenediamine can cause skin allergies.
• Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or acids. Rinse the sink well before using any bleach product.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Hair dye on other surfaces

• Hair dye stains: the complete guide
• Hair dye on carpet
• Hair dye on clothes
• Hair dye on skin
• Hair dye on a tub