Accidents Happen...

What do you do when you dye the tiles as well as your hair!

Dying your hair can be an extremely traumatic experience when you are trying to get the color just on your hair and not on the bath, the windows, the ceiling, or the cat. But what happens when you are busy admiring your glossy hair in the mirror and spot the patterns on your tiles that weren’t there before.

I personally do not color or dye my own hair because I don't trust myself. I have several friends who do and even though they get a great result, I've often wondered how their bathroom fared.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try it is almost impossible to ensure that every bit of hair dye only goes on to your head. There is usually some spillage or splashing.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

If at all possible it is better to try and prevent any splashes from reaching the surface of the tile. When you are preparing to dye your hair you should consider the area around you, and cover as much of it as you can; it only takes a few minutes to put old magazines down on the floor and to tape some plastic bags to the wall tiles that are in the immediate vicinity of where the dying is taking place. Taking these precautions will reduce the amount of surplus dye you have to clean up afterwards.

 

If the Worst Happens

If you do suddenly have a new look to your bathroom tiles that you really don’t want you will want to get rid of it as soon as possible. 

• Be quick

One of the most important things about action you take to remove hair dye from tiles is that you take it as soon as possible; if you realize that dye has come into contact with a tile as soon as it happens you can usually wipe it off fairly easily with some warm soapy water. 

   

• Be gentle

If a hair dye stain is dried into a tile it can be more problematic to get rid of; don’t get carried away and rub too hard. If you rub at a ceramic or porcelain tile too roughly, especially if the item you are using is slightly abrasive, this can cause damage to the surface. Instead of being glossy and gleaming the tile will become matte and dull. Gently but firmly use a soft cloth, rag or sponge to do the cleaning, together with plenty of elbow grease.

• Bleach is good

Bleach is ideal for removing hair dye stains from tiles. You have to be careful when using bleach as it most often contains chlorine which can cause serious irritation to your eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. Make sure the room you are in is well ventilated, and always use protective gloves when you put the bleach, diluted with warm water, on an old clean rag. Ideally before you use any cleaning solution on the affected are you should try it first on a piece of tile that cannot be seen, or even better a spare tile. If the test goes well the clean the affected tile, remembering to remove any remaining bleach off thoroughly to prevent it being transferred to any areas where it is not wanted.