Fun fact about me: I have seen every episode of Bob's Burgers at least a dozen times each. What can I say? I love fast food-based adult animation humor. If you're a fellow Belcher family lover, you may recall the show's St. Patrick's Day episode where Linda and Teddy decide to go ham on the green dye and make everything green — so much so, that the inside of their mouths are utterly stained. Now, this might sound like a funny TV show plot point, but this is very rooted in reality. Any college or early 20s party has the person who holds the green dye like a prize and runs wild with dyeing beer, baked goods, and the like. Before you dye everything in sight for the holiday, make sure you know how much to dye your food and how to get the inevitable stains out of your skin and clothes this St. Patrick's Day.
How much dye should I use to dye beer green?
Ordinarily, you can easily add one or two drops of green food coloring to your pint glass to achieve a solid color for your St. Patrick's Day party. This also works if you add one drop of yellow and blue dye, should the green run out. However, TikTok user @mixologyflaired notes that he adds his green dye to a spray bottle.
One or two spritzes in the pint glass helps create just enough of a green tint that won't stain your teeth or mouth. This technique makes a small bottle of dye go a long way.
How do I get food coloring dye out of my skin?
If you are handling green food dye, you may accidentally get it directly on your skin or on your clothes. Fear not, you can get rid of it with ease.
Spoon University's social media editor Lauren Dozier is a pro at handling food dye in her baked goods. She notes, "Washing your hands with a little toothpaste works sometimes! Or even a little dish soap can work."
If you really want to avoid skin contact, you can always wear gloves, too.
Other food dye removal ideas include rubbing alcohol, baby oil, or baking soda and water.
How do I get food coloring out of my clothes?
As is the case with most stains, you'll want to treat it quickly if you can.
Cleaning expert and HousewifeHowTos.com creator Katie Berry says to use a damp rag to soak the dye from your clothing to the cloth. Then, combine one cup of cold water, one tablespoon of white vinegar, and one teaspoon of dish soap in a shallow bowl and soak the spot in the mixture. After a 15-minute wait, running your stain under cold water should do the trick. Berry recommends repeating this process as many times as needed.
Of course, you can also try using baking soda and vinegar to pull stains out of clothing, as well as tried and true washing machine bleach additions.