Cleaning Marble Hair Dye Stain

by Lisandra
(CA)

QUESTION:
Can I get hair dye out of a marble counter top? If so, how?

ANSWER:
Wellllll.... maybe. But quite possibly yes! Below I'll detail a method the can have good success with removing all sorts of stains from marble countertops, but first....

As a point of education... there are two types of "stains" that people ask about. One is the type that looks like a "water spot." It is usually a clear but dull spot on the countertop.

This occurs when fruit juice, alcohol, coffee, cleaning products or other acidic substances have come in contact with the marble surface. Marble is mostly made of calcite, which will react with any acid corroding or "etching" the surface, which destroys the polish causing the dull spot or glass ring.

This is NOT a stain. Nothing has been absorbed into the surface (although that can happen in addition and at the same time as etching). The polish has simply been chemically removed.

With etching sometimes you have to call in a marble cleaning and maintenance professional, but typically only when severe.

Otherwise, you can fix dull etch marks easily yourself using the Marble Polish / Etch Remover on polished marble.

For honed marble, call a pro or follow instructions in the Removing Etch Marks e-book.

Don't dye your hair over any natural stone! Hair dye will truly stain your marble countertops. The marble has absorbed the dye and it must be removed.

Lucky for you, there is a very inexpensive method to remove stains from marble and other stones that you can easily perform yourself. The severity of the stain, length of time it's been there and using the proper ingredients will determine your success.

What is it!?

A poultice.

A poutice 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-aborb the staining agent.

So... you will mix and apply a poultice to the stain. The poultice will draw the hair dye out of the marble. You may have to repeat the procedure several times to get it all out, but it's your only hope.

IMPORTANT: The type of substance that has stained the marble will determine which chemical to be mixed with the powder (which can be the same for any stain) in your poultice recipe.

You'll find complete step-by-step instructions in the Removing Granite & Marble Stains e-book.

If the stain is still there... hopefully lighter... repeat the process until it is gone.

Comment back and let me know how it goes.