When dealing with dyes and paints, you probably take steps to protect your clothing. However, dye, paint and coloured stains can still happen, and they are often difficult to remove. The trick is to get to them as quickly as you can so they don’t have a chance to settle and dry deep within your clothing’s fibers. Here are the steps you need to follow.
Before you begin, it’s important to identify what type of stain you’re dealing with. There are several types of paints and dyes that can stain your clothing, including:
- Egg paint
- Hair dye
- Gloss paint
- Emulsion paint
- Latex paint
- Water colour paint
- Tempera paint
- Puffy paint
- Laundry dye
- Food dye
- Acrylic paint
- Oil paint
- Food colouring
In each case, addressing the stain fast and not allowing it to dry will increase the chances that it can be removed completely.
To get rid of dye on your clothing fast or remove paint from clothes:
- Pick a Cold Power detergent suitable for the fabric colour
- Remove excess paint and dye
- Flush the back of the stain with warm water
- Apply the Cold Power detergent
- Rinse and wash
- Check to see if the stain is gone
Using a spoon, scrape off as much dye or paint as you can, being careful not to spread the stain further. Turn the shirt, pants or jacket inside out and flush the back of the stain with warm water. Then, apply your selected Cold Power detergent to the front of the stain and let it settle into the fibers for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
Don’t wait to wash the clothing after pre-treatment. Check the care label on the clothing and wash at the highest possible temperature that is safe for the fabric. Once the wash cycle is done, check to see if the stain is gone. If it isn’t, pre-treat and wash again.
Dye and paint stains don’t always occur on machine-washable fabrics and laundry types. If you’re trying to remove these types of stains from your carpet or couch, first test the fastness of the item against water and detergent in an inconspicuous area. If safe to do so, pre-treat with a Cold Power Liquid, then blot away the detergent with cold water. Blot with a clean, cloth until the area is dry to prevent mould and mildew from developing.
If the item is not washable take it to the professional laundry and dry-cleaning service.
If you’re working with a tough fabric like cotton, leather or denim, treating dye and paint stains is as simple as following the above steps.
However, if you need to remove these stains from fine washable fabrics like wool or silk, always treat and hand wash with a sensitive detergent. This detergent is designed for delicate materials and won’t damage them while removing the stain.
Getting stains from paint, dye or hair colour out of your clothes can be a hard job. When the stain is dried, however, it can be almost impossible. While some clothes may never recover from old or dried stains, you may be able to remove some by soaking the garment in a mixture of warm water and your Cold Power detergent for a couple of hours.
Using natural stain removers and homemade stain removers may be something you want to attempt when getting rid of dye and paint stains. However, be careful about doing so. Unlike Cold Power detergents, which are made for use in your washing machine and are created to remove stains and dirt from clothing, many natural solutions like hairspray, rubbing alcohol, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide can have unexpected consequences.
While dye, paint and coloured stains can be hard to remove from clothing, they aren’t impossible. Use the above tips to get rid of them!