Cleaning Marble Hair Dye Stain

by Lisandra
(CA)

QUESTION:

Can I get a hair dye stain out of a marble countertop? If so, how?

ANSWER:

Wellllll.... maybe. But quite possibly yes, especially if the marble stain is fresh.

Most stains in marble and natural stone can be removed if not too old or deep. But some stains like rust and dye stains can be tough.

Lucky for you, there is a very inexpensive method to remove stains from marble and other stones that you can easily perform yourself.... a poultice.

Not just any old poultice recipe will work though. Some found online don't work. Different marble stains require different chemical ingredients in the poultice.

To remove a hair dye stain you need to use hydrogen peroxide in your poultice.

How To Remove a Hair Dye Stain in Marble with a Poultice

1. Buy hydrogen peroxide. The 12% version is best. Most found in the store is only 3%. Try beauty supply stores or order online.


2. Mix the hydrogen peroxide and talc powder into a paste like peanut butter or toothpaste. It shouldn't be runny.


3. Apply the poultice to the hair dye stain about 1/2 thick and a 1/2 border beyond the stain edge.


4. Cover the poultice with plastic wrap, seal edges with masking tape, and let sit for 24 hours. This is when the peroxide is attacking the dye.


5. After 24 hours, remove the plastic, but DON'T touch the poultice. It's tempting to look, but
   don't do it! Let it dry out until hard. Probably another 24 hours.


6. Once the poultice blob is completely dry... remove it with a plastic/wood spatula.


7. Repeat steps 2-6 until the hair dye stain has been completely removed.

NOTE: on marble, travertine, and limestone this process may leave a dull spot from the hydrogen peroxide etching the polished finish.

This cannot be helped if you want the stain out. No other process will remove it.

If this happens, use ETCH REMOVER / Marble Polishing product to re-polish the dull spot where the stain was.

How a Poultice Works

A poultice is a mixture of an absorbing agent (talc/baby powder, paper towels, baking soda or diatomaceous earth) and a liquid chemical.

The chemical will react with the stain and the powder will re-absorb and draw the stain out as it dries.

The particular poultice recipe is important.

You'll find many different poultice recipes online. Some are correct, but many are worthless and not every recipe will work with every type of stain.

For instance: baking soda and water. This is not effective on most marble stains.

The type of substance that has stained the marble will determine which chemical to be mixed with the powder. The powder can be the same for any stain as its purpose is to simply absorb.

You'll find complete step-by-step instructions for removing all different types of marble stains in the Removing Granite & Marble Stains e-book.