If you’ve been left with a henna stain on your favourite outfit, this is how you remove it. 

• What is henna?
• Removing henna stains 
• Laundryheap

What is henna?

Henna is a form of body art that originates from Ancient India. Decorative designs are painted onto the body using a plant-based dye, and it usually lasts for 2 weeks. In India, henna is associated with positive spirits and good luck. The night before an Indian wedding, the bride will take part in a Mehndi ceremony, where she will have her henna painted as a way to wish her good health and prosperity during her marriage. 

Removing henna stains 

If you get a henna stain on your clothing you must treat it as quickly as possible. It’s best to treat your stain immediately to prevent it from drying into the fabric of your clothing.

To remove a henna stain from your clothing you will need:

• A cloth or paper towel
• Laundry detergent 
• A clean toothbrush
• Cold water
• Distilled white vinegar OR rubbing alcohol

To begin removing your henna stain, use a clean, absorbent, cloth, or paper towel, and blot the stained area. It is important that you do not rub the stain as this will only make it bigger. Instead, press your cloth, or paper towel, on top of the stain and allow your cloth to absorb the excess dye. Each time you blot the stain use a fresh section of the cloth to prevent the stain from spreading. 

After you have removed as much of the excess dye as possible, put a few drops of laundry detergent onto the stain, and use a clean toothbrush to scrub the detergent into the fabric. Continue scrubbing until you can no longer see the stain. Although it is important to be vigorous with your scrubbing in order to lift the stain, do be careful to not be overly harsh as this can result in your fabric becoming damaged. 

Once you can no longer see the stain, use cold water to rinse away the remaining detergent and dye. It is important that you use cold water rather than hot because hot water could set the stain. Keep rinsing your fabric until all of the detergent and dye has been removed. 

If you can still see your henna stain after rinsing the fabric, pour a small amount of distilled white vinegar or rubbing alcohol onto it. Let the fabric soak up the solution for an hour, before washing your item as you normally would. 

Should your clothing still be stained, repeat the process again. 

Laundryheap  

If you have a henna stain on your clothing, and are concerned about treating it yourself, send it to Laundryheap. We provide an abundance of services, from general washing to dry-cleaning, to fit all of your laundry needs. If your clothing is stained, simply write us a note in the order instructions explaining what item the stain is on, where, and what the stain is, and we will take every precaution possible to remove the stain for you. 

We are currently operating, contaclessly, in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhab, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam, The Hague, Copenhagen, Dublin, Doha, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Washington DC, Chicago, Kuwait City, Manama, and Singapore. 

To book your Laundryheap service head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app.