You can wash the ashes off your forehead; it’s not a sin or a violation of any rule, and there is no required amount of time you must keep them on.

Quick Scoop: Yes, You’re Allowed

For most Christians who receive ashes on Ash Wednesday (Catholic, Anglican, some Lutheran and others), the ashes are:

  • A symbol of repentance and mortality, not a sacrament.
  • Meant to be a visible reminder “for a time,” not a permanent mark.

Because of that:

  • There is no church law saying “keep them on until X o’clock.”
  • Many people wash or wipe them off when they wash their face, shower, or go to bed.

When It’s Usually Considered “Best”

Many pastors and lay Catholics will say something like:

  • Try to wear them for a while as a public sign of faith and repentance, especially if you can do so without embarrassment or fear.
  • If you’re removing them purely because you’re ashamed of your faith or don’t want to be seen as Christian, they’d encourage you to leave them on and gently face that discomfort.

But they also recognize:

  • You may need to wash for work, hygiene, comfort, or because they’re smudging everywhere; that’s fine.

Practical “What Should I Do?”

Ask yourself:

  1. Am I washing them off just as part of my normal washing/showering routine?
    • Then go ahead, that’s completely okay.
  1. Am I scrubbing them off only because I’m embarrassed to be seen as a believer?
    • Many spiritual writers would say: consider keeping them, at least for a while, as a quiet act of witness and humility.

If you’re still unsure, you can always:

  • Leave them on until you get home, then wash normally.
  • Or ask a priest or minister in your own church what they recommend; practices can vary slightly by community.

“There is no obligation to leave ashes on the forehead for a particular period of time. Some wipe them off right away, some leave them for the day.”

TL;DR: Yes, you can wash the ashes off your forehead, especially during normal washing or if they’re bothering you; just try not to do it purely out of shame or fear of looking religious.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.