If you have kids or just generally like to live life on the wild side, you’ll be well aware of the risks that come with dyeing your hair in unnatural colors. Although it’s an incredibly fun and memorable experience for most people, there are some pretty nasty consequences for getting dye on places you don’t usually see hair. But, believe it or not, there are ways to remove those pesky dyes from your wooden flooring! Whether it’s from a newly purchased kit, a bottle left out from before, or from your own experiment gone wrong, you can get hair dye out of your floor. All you need is some time and a few different substances that are likely already in your home! Here’s how to get hair dye off a wooden floor.
How To Get Hair Dye Off Wooden Floor?
Turn your floor into a canvas
One of the best ways to get hair dye off the wood floor is to turn your floor into a canvas. This will, of course, require some planning and a little bit of elbow grease, but the end result will be worth it. You will first need to find an area on your floor that is not stained, so you can use that as a reference point. Take a piece of paper and mark the edges of this area. Then lay the paper on top of your stained area, and mark the edges of the paper on the floor. From here, you can use your imagination to get the area as close to the size of the reference point as possible. You will then need to use some type of paint remover to get rid of the color and stain on the wood. Make sure you wear all the necessary protective gear that you need to avoid damaging yourself and the wood. You can leave it to dry and then paint it with your desired colour.
Scrape and sand the stained area
If the hair dye stain on the wood floor is fresh, you can use an old blunt knife to scrape it off. After this, you can use some fine sandpaper to remove the rest of the stain. You should use a sanding block instead of just holding the sandpaper in your hands as this might cause splinters. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust. Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area to avoid breathing in the dust. Let the area dry, and then finish it off with a coat of varnish.
Use a stain remover
If the stain is not too bad, you can try using a stain remover. There are various commercial products that you can use for this, but you can also make your own stain remover with ingredients like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon juice. Be careful to test first on an inconspicuous area to make sure the ingredients do not damage the wood. If you want to be extra careful, you can put a thick towel on top of the stain before applying the stain remover. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse it off.
Rinse with vinegar
Vinegar is another sure-fire way to remove hair dye stains from wood floors. You will need a large bucket filled with warm water and a cup of white vinegar to make this solution. Dip a clean cloth into the solution and then wring it out so that it is not dripping. Scrub the stained area with the vinegar solution and then rinse it off with clean water. You can also use a mixture of water and white vinegar to clean your wooden floors. Simply mix 3/4 cups of vinegar with 1 gallon of water and mop your floor with that mixture.
Use a professional cleaner
You can try using a professional cleaner, but make sure to read the instructions before you begin the cleaning process. There are many household cleaners that you can use to get hair dye off wood floors such as ammonia, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide. If you want to make your own cleaner, you can use a combination of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, and baking soda. Be careful and make sure to test the solution in an inconspicuous area to see if it will damage the wood.
What Causes Hair Dye Stains On Wood Floors?
Your Flooring is Darker Than the Dye
If you’re dyeing your strands to a lighter shade, you might be surprised to find that you still have dye stains on the wood floors you walk on every day. Darker wood flooring, especially walnut, mahogany, and cherry, will be easier to stain than lighter varieties such as maple and oak. All laminate and hardwood flooring types are porous, which means that the color of your floors will absorb the color of the dye. If you’ve dyed your hair to a different shade and you notice that your floors are stained despite the difference in color, your floors might have absorbed the dye in water from your hair as you walked around the house.
You’re Using the Wrong Type of Dye
If you’ve dyed your hair and noticed a stain on the floor, but it’s not the same color as your hair, it’s likely that you used the wrong type of dye. For hair dye to effectively transfer color to your strands, it needs to be both developer and oxidant-free. Developer and oxidant are ingredients that cause the chemical reaction that turns your hair a different color. Dye meant for your hair is different than dye meant for your clothes. If you use the wrong dye on your hair, it’s possible that it left a stain on your floors. If you used dye meant for the clothes you wear, it’s possible that the dye didn’t transfer to your hair at all. If you notice a stain on your floor after dyeing your hair and it’s a different color, the dye you used might not have been meant for hair.
The Dye Was of Poor Quality
If your hair dye left a stain on your flooring, it might be due to low-quality dye. While there are a lot of different brands of hair dye out there, not all of them are created equal. Some brands of hair dye contain harsh chemicals that are unsafe for both your scalp and your floors. If the brand of hair dye you used is not safe for your scalp and your floors, it’s possible that it left a stain after you applied it.
You Didn’t Follow Instructions Carefully
If your hair dye stained your floors and it’s a different color than what you dyed your hair, you might have failed to follow the application process correctly. To ensure that your hair dye leaves the color of your choosing on your strands, you need to follow the instructions on the box carefully. When applying hair dye, you need to make sure to protect your scalp, your clothes, and your hardwood floors from the dye. When applying dye to your hair, you need to make sure that the floor beneath your feet is protected. If you failed to protect your floors, it’s possible that the dye stained them.
How To Remove Hair Dye Stains From Wood Floors?
If your hair dye stained your floors, you can remove the stain and prevent it from coming back. If you’re dealing with artificial or synthetic fiber, it’s best to use a solvent-based stain remover. When removing dye from natural hardwood, be sure to use a water-based stain remover. If your floors are premium hardwood, be sure to choose a stain remover meant for use on your flooring type. If your hair dye stained your floors, follow these steps to remove the stain:
- Locate the stain – Look for any discoloration on the floor. Potentially affected areas include the wood surface directly beneath your feet, any areas where you walked while your hair was dyeing, and any areas where your water-based dye spilled.
- Pre-treat the stain – If using a solvent-based stain remover, get it applied to the stain as quickly as possible. For a water-based stain remover, thoroughly soak the affected area. Let the pre-treatment sit on the stain for a minimum of 15 minutes.
- Scrub the stain – Use a soft bristle brush to scrub the stain until the stain is gone. Residue can discolor the floor and make the stain more difficult to remove in the future.
Conclusion
Hair dye stains on wood floors can be a little tricky to remove, but they’re nothing you can’t handle with a little elbow grease. To remove dye from your wood floors, follow these instructions to create a cleaning solution and mop your floors clean. You may have to do a few rounds of cleaning to fully remove the dye, but it will be worth it when you no longer have to worry about it staining your floors! You may also want to consider covering your floors with a protective mat for added protection. Though it won’t protect your floors from every single thing, it will offer some extra protection against harmful materials.
