Removing Dye (hair dye) from lacquer?

[Greg Cole]

I've got a problem I'm not sure where to post... so here goes. My step daughter had a couple of her less than helpful friends dye her hair in my kitchen last week, up to her it's her hair right?
Well, after said dye job the kids leave (and leave the mess behind) but not out of the ordinary. Ok, so I pick up everything and notice there is BLACK DYE splattered all over 3 of my cabinet doors in the kitchen which I can't seem to get off now. The doors are painted and have 3 coats of lacquer sprayed on them. The priming, painting & lacquering was about a month of weekends to do all doors & drawer fronts...
Does ANYONE have any ideas on what to use to take the black dye off that won't hurt the lacquer finish??? LOML said I can just repaint them, but I KNOW it will never blend in... I'm thinking if I do repaint & relaquer it'll be like a red fender on a black car.

Thanks,
Greg

[Nancy Laird]

Greg, lacquer is one of the most forgiving of finishes. Take some 4-0 steel wool to the spots and rub them off the top of the lacquer--it will dull the area--but don't rub all the way through if you can help it. Then just spray a coat of lacquer over the areas where you rubbed, let it dry, then one more coat over the entire door. Only you will be able to know where the spots were.

Nancy (121 days)

[Greg Cole]

Nancy,
Thanks for the quick reply. I used lacquer for a couple reasons, one being able to repair if necessary, I just haven't had to repair any of it....yet. Although I initially used it b/c of the ease of application (was my first real attempt with HVLP spraying so a bunch of kitchen door panels & drawer fronts was a BIG undertaking for a first time spraying & my first real WW'ing project).
I was hoping something like Goof Off or Goo Gone would maybe do the trick and not hurt the finish, but that hair dye is nasty stuff. Ah well....

Cheers.
Greg

[Jack Briggs]

Greg,

I don't know about the dye involved but it can't hurt to try rubbing with naphtha before trying a repair. Naphtha is the strongest solvent that you can try that won't dissolve the lacquer.

[Hal Flynt]

Hair Bleach

Sorry I couldn't resist.