How to Get Easter Egg Dye Off Your Hands Without Harsh Chemicals

With Easter right around the corner, there’s a good chance egg dyeing is on your agenda. But when the fun is over, getting that pesky dye off of everyone’s hands is always an issue. So, why not be prepared for the inevitable? Try out these cleaning tips and rainbow-dyed hands will be a thing of the past. 

How do you get Easter egg dye off hands?

We asked Nichole Siciliano from Dudley’s Easter, an Easter egg dye kit company, to share a few of her tried-and-true methods. 

Method 1: Water and soap

1. Soak your hands in a mixture of warm water and several drops of soap.
2. Start scrubbing the dye traces. In most cases, that will be enough, so always try this before using additional methods.

Method 2: Heavy-duty soap

1. Try a heavy-duty hand cleaner or a soap specifically made for the removal of Easter egg dye or similar substances. Try a soap that contains pumice, such as Lava Bar Soap ($2.47, Amazon), a very effective agent. 
2. Rub it along the affected areas, combining it with a moisturizer to keep your skin healthy and smooth.

Method 3: Toothpaste

1. Apply some toothpaste on the stained spots on your hands using a paintbrush, a nail polish brush, or your hand.
2. Rub it into your skin, working in a back-and-forth motion to loosen the Easter egg dye marks.
3. Continue until your hands are free from any coloration.
4. Wipe your hands with a paper towel to remove any remaining toothpaste or dye.

There’s just one more easy technique that might work the best — and it only requires vinegar and baking soda! 

Method 4: Vinegar and baking soda

1. Start by rinsing your hands in water. Rub your hands together and rinse until most of the Easter egg dye stops coming off. You can use a washcloth to speed up the process.
2. Put some white vinegar in a bowl and soak a clean washcloth in it. 
3. Remove the washcloth and use it to scrub your hands. You may need to rinse and repeat several times.
4. If the stain is still there, add baking soda to the mix. Place a small amount on your hands and rub them together. If this doesn’t take care of the remaining stains, you can try alternating the vinegar and baking soda steps or mixing them together on your hands and scrubbing. Just make sure to rinse thoroughly between steps. 

How to Get Easter Egg Dye Off Counters

Kitchen counters are meant to take quite a beating, which means they can usually stand up to most food and liquids. It typically takes only a sponge with a spray cleaner or kitchen wipes to mop up a mess — unless it’s Easter egg dye that’s spilled all over the counter.

In this case, don’t panic. Grab a few towels and wash as much of the dye off of the counters as you can. If dry or wet towels don’t get the job done, you can try using vinegar and water. (Refer to step 4 above for how to on this.)

You can also try the toothpaste method. Just use a small amount and gently scrub with a toothbrush. This should be safe for most countertops, but it’s always best to start with a small area and test it.

Some other tips to get Easter egg dye off of counters include using a product like Soft Scrub (Buy from Amazon, $3.79). 

How to Get Easter Egg Dye Off Tables

It’s best to cover your table with a plastic tablecloth before you start dyeing eggs. But if you skip this step, there are a few things you can try to get Easter egg dye off of your table.

Vinegar and baking soda not only work on your hands, but these two popular household items can also be used on your table. First try vinegar mixed with warm water. Combine 1/4 a cup of vinegar with one cup of warm water and start with a small area. Put a small amount of the mix onto the stain and rub it in with a clean cloth. Let sit for a few minutes and then wash it away with a wet cloth. You may need to dry off the table with a clean cloth. 

You can also try mixing one tablespoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of water until it forms a thin paste. Apply it to the stain and rub gently with a soft cloth until the dye disappears.

Before you try any product on your table, make sure you check to see if the cleaner or product you’re using is safe for the surface. Consult the manufacturer or look online to find this information.

Is Easter egg dye safe?

If coloring Easter eggs is on your family fun list, you might be asking yourself “Is Easter egg dye safe?”

The good news: Yes. Easter egg dye is safe, just make sure to purchase the kits from a reputable company like Paas. Food-safe dyes can be found in the baking section of the grocery store. 

Can you eat Easter egg dye? 

Easter egg dyes that are food-grade, like Watkins Assorted Food Coloring (Buy from Amazon, $6.64) or made at home with natural ingredients are safe to eat. Vanessa Rissetto, RD, says that many dye kits are made with vegetable-based dyes and food coloring, so they are generally safe. She wouldn’t recommend eating eggs dyed with hacks, like shaving cream, though.

Rissetto recommends being mindful of food safety when grocery shopping and not eating any eggs that have been left outside in the sun or that have been left over for more than a week. This will help protect you and your family from food-borne illnesses.

Board-certified integrative medicine physician and wellness expert, Tasneem Bhatia, MD (known as Dr. Taz) says that even though it’s safe to eat the eggs, it’s important to be aware of the chemicals in the dyes, including red 40, blue 1, and yellow 5. A lot of people avoid these dyes and prefer to limit the amount their kids are exposed to. Some children and adults may be particularly sensitive to food dyes and may want to steer clear of eating eggs that have been dyed or decorated.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, First for Women.