Removing Methylene Blue Stains

There's nothing quite like the horror of a methylene blue stain where you don't want it! Below, I will cover removing methylene blue from different surfaces, tissues, and materials.

1. Skin, nails, & hair.
2. Oral.
3. Dental & dental appliances.
4. Fabric & Upholstery.
5. Plastics.
6. Wood.
7. Painted surfaces.
8. Countertops, sinks, and toilets.
9. Making methylene blue easier to wash away by turning it transparent.
10. Biological removal using yeast.

Skin

Methylene blue aggressively stains dead tissue like superficial skin layers, blemishes, hair, and fingernails. The good news is that these stains will fade over 2-4 days. Here are some tips to get most of it off so the stains will fade faster.

1. Start by washing with warm water and soap. This will get much of it off and keep what hasn't soaked in from spreading via touch to other surfaces.
2. Wash with a 70-90% alcohol solution. Methylene blue is alcohol soluble, and alcohol will help remove more. You can use ethyl or isopropyl alcohol.
3. You can also use vitamin C to help wash away more, but it usually isn't necessary. See below for more information.

Hair

If your hair has been chemically treated, bleached, colored, etc. the stain may be more persistent than untreated hair. The good news is that these stains usually fade over 4-10 days.

1. Start by dabbing or squeezing the affected area with dry paper towels. Rubbing will only spread the stain.
2. Wash with cold water, then wash with warm soapy water.
3. Treat the affected area with a vitamin C paste. Once the blue color has disappeared, wash it several more times with warm soapy water.
4. Do not dry the hair with heat. Heat will only help to set the stain.
5. Any remaining methylene blue after the vitamin C treatment will eventually turn blue again.

Dental & Oral

For oral stains, it's not necessary to do anything, as this type of stain goes away on its own in 6-24 hours. Methylene blue fades from living tissues of the mouth, including cheeks, tongue, teeth, & gums. Tarter buildup, infection, yeast growth, and ulcers will take longer to fade.

1. Rinse with plenty of fresh water.
2. Rinse with a solution of vitamin C and water till the color fades, and then brush your teeth.

Dental - Artificial Materials & Appliances

Stains on dental appliances that are not organic, such as braces, veneers, dentures, fillings, etc., may or may not fade over time. It depends on the material type and how methylene blue interacts with it. Seek the advice of a dentist for any stains that have not faded in a few days.

Rugs & Upholstery

There are many different types of materials in this class. Many can be cleaned successfully with some work and patience, but be prepared; some stains can be permanent. Every material interacts with methylene blue differently.

1. Do not scrub! Dab.
2. Dab up the excess with dry paper towels.
3. Dab with damp paper towels.
4. Do not use alcohol. This may set the stain in some cases, making it harder to remove.
5. Apply a paste of vitamin C and water. Wait for the color to disappear, and then use a wet vac or upholstery vacuum to clean the area with warm soapy water repeatedly. Any remaining methylene blue will eventually turn blue again.
6. Use the yeast adsorption technique listed below.

Clothing & Fabrics

Methylene blue removal from fabrics & clothing is essentially the same as rugs and upholstery.

1. Do not scrub! Dab.
2. Dab up the excess with dry paper towels.
3. Dab with damp paper towels.
4. You can try alcohol, but be aware alcohol may set the stain in some cases, making it harder to remove.
5. Apply a paste of vitamin C and water. Wait for the color to disappear, then hand wash the area with warm, soapy water, rinsing repeatedly with fresh water. Any remaining methylene blue will eventually turn blue again.
6. Use the yeast adsorption technique listed below.
7. Dry cleaning. A professional dry cleaner may also be able to remove the stain. Be sure to tell them what type of stain it is and what you have done to try and remove it.

Porous Materials - Plastics, Wood, Etc.

These materials are the hardest to remove methylene blue stains from, and honestly, you should be prepared for the possibility that the stain will be permanent.

1. Soak up as much as you can without spreading the methylene blue.
2. Repeatedly wipe with damp paper towels till no more methylene blue comes up.
3. Rinse with warm water. If possible, place it under flowing water and use some soap.
4. Spray a small amount of alcohol, 70% or higher, and wipe. The alcohol will help lift more of the methylene blue up to the surface, where it can be removed. Again, this should be done repeatedly.
5. For materials that will tolerate being wet for prolonged periods of time, you can use the Vitamin C paste and yeast adsorption methods.
6. UV light and UV from sunlight will eventually fade methylene blue stains.

Paint

You can use as many of the steps listed above under Porous Materials. Paint stains can be reduced in intensity but are typically permanent to some degree. When repainting the area, be sure to prime the area with a stain-blocking sealer.

Countertops

Methylene blue stains on countertop surfaces usually come clean by using the cleaning tips already described above. If the surface is an unsealed stone or an unmaintained stone, the stain may penetrate deeper and be more difficult to remove.

Vitamin C & Bleach - Making methylene blue stains easier to remove.

Methylene blue has two states: its oxidized (blue) state and its reduced (translucent/clear) state. In its translucent state, methylene blue is more easily removed. The translucent state of methylene blue is temporary, and it will eventually turn blue again if not washed away. However, while it's in its reduced state, you can wash away significantly more methylene blue. You can turn methylene blue from blue to clear in two main ways. Vitamin C and household bleach.

Vitamin C - Purchase some vitamin C powder from your local store. If a powder isn't available, making a powder by crushing up the highest potency tablets you can find tablets is perfectly acceptable. Make a paste or a concentrated solution and put it on the stain. As the vitamin C reduces the methylene blue, the color will gradually disappear. Once this chemical reaction has occurred, continue your cleaning efforts. It will gradually turn blue again so any remaining methylene blue will gradually reappear. The process is harmless to most water-compatible materials and can be repeated multiple times if desired.
Bleach - A dilute solution of household bleach also reduces methylene blue to its colorless state. Very little bleach is needed to cause the reaction, so start with a 10% solution or less. Again, the transformation is temporary, and the blue color will return once the bleach disappears. Using bleach only makes it easier to remove the methylene blue, so you must continue to wash and rinse the affected area. Only use this method on materials that you KNOW will tolerate bleach. It is best to perform a small test spot on a hidden area to see if what you are cleaning will tolerate cleaning with bleach.

Yeast - Biological Adsorption

Live yeast has a biological affinity for methylene blue and will essentially "eat up" any methylene blue it can contact. In theory, this method should always work, but real-world applications are not 100% and will depend entirely on the yeast's ability to reach the methylene blue you're trying to remove. Purchase some baker's yeast from your local grocery. Follow the instructions on the packet to activate the culture or another method if you prefer. After it's activated and growing, place the liquid on the stain and cover it so that it will remain moist. If the culture dries out, the process will stop. Over 24-48 hours, the yeast will penetrate the area and take up any methylene blue it can access. After 24-48 hours, clean the area well and see what progress has been made.

Direct Sunlight

Direct sunlight will fade methylene blue stains from many different types of materials. Only long-term exposure will tell if sunlight will be effective.