What's the best method to clean a dye stained shower?

December 12, 2021 1:20 PM

My wife and I like to dye our hair, but despite best efforts, we also end up dying the shower surround as well. Tips to prevent would be great but the damage is done -- what's the best way to clean it?

I've tried tons of different cleaning products on our shower surround (the plastic(?) standard molded kind, no tiles) and it takes an extraordinary scrubbing effort to reduce the stain to light pink. Surely there's a better way? People dye their hair at home all the time.

Please suggest specific products and/or cleaning methods to make this job easier or faster. I'm sure there's no perfect option, but I'd settle for something that doesn't require hours of work. We have cats but can lock them out for a product that needs airing or is not pet safe. Thanks!

posted by possibilityleft to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

I dye my hair in the shower and I use a Clorox bathroom cleaner with bleach spray. Also, when fresh, most of the fun colors will wipe off with alcohol, whether from your ear or from the countertop.
posted by irisclara at 1:32 PM on December 12, 2021

Bleach spray is number one and the second is just time and soaking. With regular use I've found most staining comes out. In addition, look into a different brand of dye. Some stain more than others - Splat is notorious for staining everything it touches. Others aren't so bad. Also consider rinsing in the kitchen sink if possible.
posted by Crystalinne at 1:42 PM on December 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Vim cream with bleach does great on getting stains out of our tub surround. Also Comet with bleach if you just make it a cream and leave it on for a bit and then give a good rinse.
posted by euphoria066 at 1:53 PM on December 12, 2021

Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner and Bleach spray is amazing! Spray and leave it on for a few minutes and it’s absolutely magic.
posted by mochapickle at 2:53 PM on December 12, 2021

Magic eraser
posted by Violet Hour at 4:05 PM on December 12, 2021

I had read before to use Vaseline on your skin to prevent staining your skin. I went looking to see if this could be used on your shower walls and found at least one article suggesting that it might work.
posted by Night_owl at 5:20 PM on December 12, 2021

Please don't use 'Magic Eraser' on any glossy surface that you wish to remain glossy.
It is an abrasive (really the very lightest sandpaper), it works a few times, but after that you're just making the problem worse by exposing the more porous underlayer to the stain.
posted by mdrew at 1:39 AM on December 13, 2021 [6 favorites]

Nthing bleach spray. Oxiclean powder worked well for me too!
posted by music for skeletons at 6:10 AM on December 13, 2021

I have not tried this myself, but I've heard about it from a friend I trust with long red red hair that isn't natural - Dawn Powerwash apparently works miracles.
posted by librarianamy at 6:17 AM on December 13, 2021

The trick is getting the bleach to sit on the stain long enough. If it's on a wall, you can dip paper towels in bleach and plaster them over the stains - they'll stick until they dry out. You can also heat cornstarch and water until its thick and add bleach to that to make diy bleach gel.
posted by ananci at 8:21 AM on December 13, 2021

I had a lot of success recently getting semi-permanent hair colour stains out of a white ceramic sink and bathtub with Barkeeper's Friend powder stain remover.
posted by fanlight at 10:48 AM on December 13, 2021

I'd be careful of putting eg. Vaseline on the walls. That stuff combined with hot water, running off onto the shower pan, could make it lethally slippery.
posted by penguin pie at 12:39 PM on December 13, 2021 [1 favorite]

penguin pie, that is an extremely valid concern. I’ll admit I had thought of that possibility briefly but didn’t give it the gravity it was due.
posted by Night_owl at 3:08 PM on December 13, 2021 [1 favorite]