After spending the day decorating eggs for Easter my hands were covered in food colouring!

This isn’t something I have really encountered before as I usually an very careful when using food dye, but this time I got a little caught up in creative flare…

I tried to wash it off with warm water with no avail, and I will admit started to panic that I might have blue hands for the rest of my life! (A little over dramatic).

I searched the internet for solutions and found a few options. Unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of the chemicals or products they suggested but there were two that I stubbled across which I could try and thought might actually work.

The first used toothpaste to lift the colouring and the second used bicarbonate soda and white vinegar. The toothpaste lightened the stain a little bit but didn’t make too much difference but the second option removed it completely!

Here is what you will need:

• White vinegar
• Warm water
• Bicarbonate soda

Here is what you do:

• Firstly, wash your hands with warm water and some kind of scrub (I used salt but sugar or a face scrub would work fine). This helps lift the stain but won’t remove it completely, don’t scrub too hard that you hurt yourself.
• Soak a cloth in vinegar and wipe this over the stain and rinse.
• Combine the bicarbonate soda and a small amount of water in a bowl to make a paste. I used about 3 tablespoons of bicarb and half a tablespoon of water, but it really depends on how much colouring you will have on your hands. As long as it forms a nice paste-like consistency it should be good.
• Rub some of the past onto your hand where the stain is. Let it sit for a minute and then rub the area until you see it start to fade away. Bicarb soda can be abrasive so don’t rub too hard or you may hurt your hand.
• Finally wash your hands with soap and vow to wear gloves next time!

Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after and moisturise as it will make them feel a little sticky.

Before (only washed with soap and warm water)

After

I was so shocked I purposely coloured my hand again to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke.

Before

After (to show how it works I only applied the bicarb and vinegar to the big circle towards the middle of my palm)

How do you get food colouring out of your skin?