When purple shampoo stains your hair, don’t rashly head for the bleach bottle or make a panicked trip to the salon! Instead, follow one of these 10 easy ways on how to remove purple shampoo stains from your hair at home. Trust me, your hair will thank you.
How to Remove Purple Shampoo Stains From Hair
You can easily remove purple shampoo stains with household items such as baking soda and lemon juice. You can also head for pre-made purchasable shampoos that are proven to help ease stains out of your hair.
Let’s check out your options:
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of the most versatile home necessities. From cooking to cleaning, it can do it all! It even has natural lightening properties that help return your hair to its natural color.
Using baking soda is one of the most natural ways to remove dye or purple shampoo stains from your hair. If you want to avoid harsh chemicals in your hair, baking soda is one of the best ways to go.
What you will need:
- Baking soda
- Anti-dandruff shampoo
- Bowl
- Plastic bag or shower cap (Optional)
- Conditioner
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine one tablespoon of baking soda with one tablespoon of shampoo. If you have long hair, increase the baking soda and shampoo in greater quantities by equal amounts.
- Wet your hair with hot water.
- Apply the mixture to your hair until it is well covered.
- Let the mixture sit in your hair for about 20 minutes. If you would like, cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic bag to keep the mix absorbing correctly.
- Rinse off hair with warm water.
- Condition well afterward.
You can complete this process daily for up to 3 to 4 consecutive days.
It is important to note that you should not use purple shampoo as the shampoo for this process. Anti-dandruff shampoo is well-recommended and will work great.
The anti-dandruff shampoo has excellent clarifying properties that, when paired with baking soda, will work to remove a considerable amount of the color stain without doing as much harm as bleach.
2. Lemon Juice And Baking Soda
Lemon juice naturally has strong bleaching properties. Pairing lemon juice with baking soda helps gently clarify your hair while stripping it of unwanted color.
What you will need:
- Two tablespoons of baking soda
- Two tablespoons of lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl until they create a smooth paste mixture.
- Apply this mixture to the stained parts of your hair.
- Leave the mixture on your hair for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Wash your hair well with shampoo. (Do not use purple shampoo!)
- Condition after washing.
You can repeat this process for up to 3-4 consecutive days.
3. Dandruff Shampoo
As mentioned earlier, dandruff shampoo is another safe method to remove purple shampoo. It has the ability to remove unwanted stains and colors but it is gentler than say clarifying shampoo.
It therefore may not work as fast, but it is gentle on hair and you can use it every day until the purple shampoo stains have come out of your hair.
As with any shampoo, make sure that you follow up with a conditioner to ensure your hair stays moisturized.
4. Dish Soap
Dish soap by itself is a slow and steady way to remove your purple shampoo stains. It is excellent if you only want to fade the color gradually. But if you want faster results, consider this method of mixing in a bit of lemon juice.
Chelating your hair means that you are removing product build-up and demineralizing it. It is a great way to do a deep cleaning of your hair.
Mixing some dish soap with a freshly squeezed lemon is an excellent way to chelate your hair without spending anything on fancy products.
What you will need:
- Dish soap
- A lemon
- Deep conditioner
Instructions
- Cut the lemon in half and set it aside in the bathroom.
- Lather your hair in the shower with your favorite brand of dish soap. You will probably need less dish soap than shampoo for washing your hair.
- Rinse well with warm water.
- Lightly squeeze one half of the lemon on the top of your head. You can also squirt it into a bowl instead. If you use the bowl method, pour a little juice into your hands at a time and work it into your hair.
- Use the second half of the lemon to spritz the mid-section and ends of your hair.
- Wait a couple of minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.
- Apply a deep conditioner and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
- Rinse with warm water
- Immediately hit as cold of water as you can stand.
And there you are! Here are a few notes to keep in mind with this method:
- While working the lemon into your hair, your hair might feel like a brillo pad. There is no reason to be alarmed by this sensation. While this may be scary, your hair will likely feel stiff and dry during the treatment. Just stick with the process, and your hair will be silky smooth, and stain-free in no time!
- Do not use dish soap if you have sensitive skin. It can irritate your scalp.
- While most brands of dish soap will get the job done, Dawn dish soap is highly recommended by most sources because it is known to be super gentle.
5. Vitamin C Powder
No, seriously. Vitamin C is not just for your body, but your hair too! You can use vitamin C in your hair to remove those unsightly color stains.
While not as common a household item as baking soda, it is just as natural, if not more so. If you want another naturally-based option, here’s how to remove purple shampoo stains with vitamin C powder.
What you will need:
- Shampoo (Do not use your purple shampoo! Clarifying shampoos work incredibly well for this treatment)
- 5-10 vitamin C pills
- A small bowl
Instructions
- Crush the vitamin C pills until they create a fine powder substance.
- Pour a small dollop of shampoo into the bowl. A quarter-sized bit works excellently.
- Mix the two ingredients in the bowl until they create a paste.
- Dampen your hair with water, but do not soak it.
- Apply the paste thoroughly to your damp hair.
- Let the mixture sit for 30-60 minutes. Think of this as your “me time” and maybe treat yourself to something nice, such as a good book or fun tv show with a snack, while you wait!
- Rinse the mixture out of your hair completely
- Shampoo with regular, not purple, shampoo, and then condition.
Vitamin C helps restore your hair’s health and strength and removes the color stains. With just a few uses of this treatment, your hair will be back to normal and healthier than ever.
6. Sulfate Shampoo
Sulfates are cleaning agent chemicals used to remove oil and dirt in your hair.
Sulfate shampoos are known to have some of the most resounding cleansing effects. Shampoos that quickly work themselves into a lather likely have some sulfates.
Many regular shampoos contain sulfates, so check the back of the bottle to see if sulfate is an included ingredient.
One downside to sulfate shampoo is that it will take a few washes to remove purple shampoo stains.
Washing your hair more than once a day can drastically dry hair out.
It will take a few days before you will start noticing results.
7. Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying shampoo does not contain harsh chemicals like sulfate but uses chelating agents to clean your hair. These chelating agents in the shampoo act like a magnet to draw out unwanted aspects of hair.
Clarifying shampoo is much stronger than sulfate and will clean out those stubborn purple stains within one to two washes.
Because of the shampoo’s strength, you should only use the minimum amount needed. If you have thin hair, consider only using half the recommended amount of shampoo.
Always follow the back of the shampoo bottle for instructions to ensure you use the proper amount for your hair.
9. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is used in things like mouthwash, teeth whitening, hair dye, and cleansing agents so it also has the potential to remove purple shampoo stains from hair.
It is however a strong chemical that could potentially damage your scalp if you’re not careful so make sure you follow these instructions carefully:
- Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide with water in a spray bottle
- Only spray on sections of your hair that are purple
- Wait 5 minutes and see the color change
- Wash hair immediately after to remove all of the hydrogen peroxide
- Follow up with a deep conditioner
9. Use Color Remover
Another simple way to remove purple shampoo stains from hair is to use a color remover. You can easily find these in drugstores and supermarkets.
Do note that color removers contain chemicals but they are not as bad as bleach or permanent dye. It does work very quickly so if you’re in a rush to fix your hair, it may be the way to go.
Color remover does what it says on the tin, so it removes hair dye. So unless you’re blonde, consider whether you’re prepared to lose some of the vibrancy of your newly dyed hair.
10. Stop Using Purple Shampoo
Finally, the best way to avoid your hair to go even more purple is simply to stop using purple shampoo.
If your hair has purple stains in it, you’ve probably already used more than necessary.
Purple shampoo stains will eventually wash out on its own so if you’re not too bothered about it, the best thing to do is just to leave it alone and wash your hair every few days with a sulfate shampoo.
Final Thoughts
Those are our top 10 easy ways to remove purple shampoo stains from your hair. These methods are all pretty similar and only require you to wet your hair, apply the product, and wait. Whatever process you choose, ensure you always have a good conditioner nearby to keep your hair happy and healthy.
Frequently asked questions
The chances are that you leave the shampoo in your hair too long. Follow the instructions on the bottle precisely to ensure that you don’t leave it in longer than it is supposed to sit in your hair.
You should never use purple shampoo as a replacement for regular shampoo. Overusing purple shampoo can make your hair look darker than the lighter platinum. Experts recommend using a purple shampoo once a week or just whenever you notice your hair requires a slight bit of toning.
You can easily remove purple shampoo stains by soaking the clothes in hot water with a bit of laundry detergent. Repeat the process, scrubbing the stain occasionally until the color starts to disappear. Wash the garment usually after, but do not put it in the dryer unless the stain is completely gone.
There is a chance that purple shampoo won’t only stain your hair but also your shower. To prevent this, rinse your shower well if you see any purple shampoo residue. It is far easier to clean purple shampoo out of your shower before it dries.
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