This is the topmost question on my FAQ (frequently asked questions) page. See "I forgot to wear gloves [or I got a hole in my glove]. How do you remove dye from hands? Should I use bleach?" .

Don't use bleach, because it is more toxic and dangerous than the dye stains themselves. Try a pot scrubber, or just wait a day or two with normal hand-washing. A good fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX, normally wears off within two days, because the dye does not penetrate into living skin cells, but instead stays in the surface dead cells of your skin. All-purpose dyes may take longer to wear off, because some of them probably do penetrate the skin more deeply.

Next time, wear gloves! It is foolish to use household chemicals without protection.


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