Dying easter eggs is a fun springtime tradition the whole family can partake in. And somehow, no matter how many precautions you take, someone always tends to get dye on their clothing – especially kids!
There’s a range of easter egg dye products on the market, with most dye kits being non-toxic using artificial food-safe coloring. There are also natural and DIY alternatives! However, all may result in an unwanted clothing stain you’ll need to treat before throwing in the wash.
Pro-tip: want to avoid stains on clothes you love? Wear old T-shirts and jeans that you don’t mind getting dirty while dying your eggs!
Sometimes, making a mess is part of letting kids (and adults!) be creative and have some fun. Whether it’s a spot, a spill, or a splatter, here’s what you can do when that colorful creativity turns into a dye stain you’ll need to remove from clothing.
Step-By-Step Guide to Removing Easter Egg Dye Stains From Clothing
What to Do When a Dye Stain Happens
- Blot the stain with a paper towel immediately after the dye gets on the clothing. Blot until the paper towel no longer picks up any dye.
- As soon as possible, use cold water to flush the stain from behind. Turn the clothing inside out and place it under a sink faucet streaming cold water at its highest pressure option
- Use your fingers or a soft brush to manually rub an enzyme-based stain remover or liquid detergent into the stain
- Allow the stain remover to sit for at least 20 minutes
Related: When Should I Try to Treat a Stain?
How to Remove Dye Stains in the Wash
- After pretreating the stain, fill a sink or bucket with hot water (the hotter, the better!)
- Pour 1 cup of distilled white vinegar into the water, and stir to mix it in
- Add stained clothing to the mixture and soak for one hour, until the water cools
- Remove the clothing and wring the water and vinegar mixture out by hand
- Wash clothing in the washing machine by themselves on a warm cycle with regular detergent and another ½ cup of distilled white vinegar
- Check the clothing to ensure the stain has been removed before drying. If not, repeat steps 1-5 but increase soaking time to 2-10 hours.
- Once the stain is fully removed, dry the clothing normally
Removing Difficult Dye Stains From Clothes
If you’re struggling to get dye out of clothes, or simply don’t have any spare time to treat them, trust the expert cleaners at Dependable Cleaners to do the job for you. With 20+ convenient Colorado locations, you can easily find one of our dry cleaning locations in your neighborhood to meet your stain removal, laundry, and dry cleaning needs. Extra busy? Give our FREE pick-up and delivery services a try!
