Hair dye comes out of towels best while it’s still wet. Rinse in cool water, soak in a mild detergent solution, and blot with rubbing alcohol before the towel goes anywhere near a dryer. Chlorine bleach can clear what’s left only on white, bleach-safe cotton. Once dye goes through a hot dryer, it may never fully come out.
Key Takeaways:
- University of Georgia Extension uses a detergent soak, rubbing alcohol, and an ammonia soak, in that order.
- Bleach is a last step, and only for white cotton that’s labeled bleach-safe.
- Never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar, and rinse fully between steps.
- A towel that still shows dye after two rounds belongs at the color station.
Why hair dye stains towels so hard
Dye products are made to stain, and terry cotton soaks them up readily. In its carpet guidance, University of Georgia Extension calls stains from products designed to dye extremely difficult to remove.
Fresh dye rinses out far more easily than dried dye, so speed matters. Once the color dries, and especially once a dryer heats it, it’s much harder to move. A salon’s towel routine should start at the bowl, before the towel ever reaches the wash.
How to remove hair dye stains from towels, step by step
These steps follow UGA’s method for colored dye on fabric. Check the care label before you start, and try each product on a hidden corner.
- Rinse the stained area in cool running water until the water runs mostly clear.
- Mix one quart of warm water, half a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent, and one tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak the towel for 30 minutes, moving it now and then.
- Rinse the towel well in plain water.
- Dab rubbing alcohol on the stain and cover it with a pad dampened in alcohol. Swap the pad as it picks up color, and keep the stain moist. Let it dry.
- Mix one quart of warm water, half a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and one tablespoon of ammonia. Soak for 30 minutes, then rinse.
- Wash the towel at the warmest temperature its label allows.
- Check it in good light before drying. Repeat the steps once if color is left.
For red dye, UGA uses the ammonia soak first and the vinegar soak second, each followed by a rinse. Work in a ventilated space and wear gloves.
Can you bleach hair dye out of white towels?
You can on bleach-safe cotton, since UGA says chlorine bleach can remove the final traces of a dye stain. For dye transfer on white fabric, UGA also lists a commercial color remover or an oxygen bleach. Both are options for a white towel that came out of the wash with a pink or purple cast.
Bleach always comes last, because the earlier steps use both ammonia and vinegar. Mixed with ammonia, bleach produces toxic chloramine gases, according to the Washington State Department of Health. With an acid such as vinegar, it gives off chlorine gas. Rinse the towel in plain water before any bleach touches it.
Colored and dark towels can’t take chlorine, so stop at the detergent, alcohol, and ammonia steps. Bleach-proof towels hold their own color through lightener, but dye can still mark them. For what they resist and what they don’t, see what bleach-proof towels can handle.
When to give up on a towel
If two full treatments don’t remove the stain from a white towel, stop spending time on it. Move it to the color station, where a stain no longer matters, or cut it down for cleanup.
Sorting by job keeps the rest of your stock in order.
- White towels go to shampoo and finishing, where clients see them up close.
- Dark or bleach-proof towels go to color and lightener services.
- Stained whites move to the color station and don’t go back to the front.
- Towels that are thin, frayed, or stiff leave service entirely.
Hotels see the same problem when guests color their hair in the room, and dark makeup and hair towels in the bathroom save the white stock. For the other common bathroom stains, see the guide to lifting makeup out of towels.
How OrangeBag handles dye and toner
OrangeBag’s salon towel programs treat dye, developer, bleach, and toner before the wash, so chemical stains lift before a hot dryer can set them. Whites run through bleach-safe processing that keeps them bright without a chlorine smell at the chair.
Pickups follow your booking calendar, and you can rent towels or send your own. Every salon’s towels run in a load of their own. A trial comes before any longer commitment, and agreement terms stay under three years.
On the hotel side, guest room linen programs come with stain treatment and rewash handling.
FAQ
Can you get hair dye out of white towels?
It can come out, especially if you act before the towel goes through a dryer. Rinse in cool water, soak in warm water with detergent and vinegar, blot with rubbing alcohol, then soak in a detergent and ammonia solution. After a full rinse, a bleach-safe white cotton towel can take chlorine bleach to clear the last traces. A color remover is another option for white fabric.
How do you get hair dye out of towels without bleach?
To remove hair dye without bleach, use the soak-and-blot method. A warm soak with dishwashing detergent and white vinegar comes first, then rubbing alcohol on the stain, then a soak with detergent and ammonia. Rinse after each step, then wash the towel at the warmest setting its label allows. On colored towels, test each step on a hidden corner first, since UGA says to pretest every cleaning agent for colorfastness.
Is permanent hair dye harder to remove from towels?
UGA’s guidance doesn’t separate permanent from semi-permanent dye. It gives red dye its own order of steps, separate from other colors. Either way, a stain is easiest to lift before it dries or goes through a dryer, so treat every color the same day.
Will hair dye come out of towels in the wash?
A regular wash may lighten a dye stain without clearing it, and the dryer that follows can lock it in. Pre-treat first with the soak and alcohol steps, wash, and check the towel before drying. If any color remains, repeat the treatment or air dry the towel and try again.
Want color stains treated before they set?
Color stains are won or lost at the bowl, long before the wash. Send your chair count, towel use, and busiest days, and OrangeBag will put a program and price in writing.
