9 Methods To Get Lipstick Out of Clothes (Step-By-Step Guide)

What is the most common mishap that has happened to you while putting on makeup? Some people would say a smudged mascara, an uneven eyeliner, or the wrong shade of blush that won’t wipe off. However, makeup can ruin more than just your face.

Accidentally getting lipstick on your shirt is one of the most common mistakes people seem to make, especially in a hurry. It can quickly become a fashion disaster that only some people know how to fix immediately.

This article will provide a step-by-step guide to 9 methods to effectively get lipstick out of your clothes and bring your favorite shirt back to pristine condition.

Why Are Lipstick Stains So Stubborn?

It makes sense that you would wonder about the composition of lipsticks since they are adherent to clothes and can be very hard to get out. These colorful sticks are made of wax and oils, which are not easily removed by water.

These ingredients ensure the smooth, gliding nature of the lipsticks while simultaneously causing them to stick to your clothes firmly. Not only do you need to eradicate the stickiness of the gum, but you also need to remove the dye so that it doesn’t leave a colored stain on your clothes.

Things To Keep In Mind

Before we find ways to remove lipstick stains from clothes, we must keep a few things in mind.

1. Once you get a lipstick stain on your garment, you race against time. Lipsticks tend to get increasingly stuck to clothing the longer you let them be. You would rather deal with fresh stains than old ones.
2. The first aid you can provide to your clothes is to scrape the maximum lipstick you can. Use a credit card, a butter knife, or any blunt object that can remove the lipstick without smearing it further.
3. Check out the fabric of your clothing. This is the most crucial step. Different kinds of fabrics react differently to chemicals. You need to quickly check out the care label of your garment and read up on how to proceed. Find out which material your clothing is made up of and act accordingly. Some points to keep in mind regarding fabrics are as follows:
4. You can never use alcohol or bleach on wool. Bleach is an alkaline solution, while wool is an acidic fabric. If you pour bleach or alcohol on the wool, it can cause a neutralization reaction and dissolve the entire wool into a goopy mess.
5. Acetone or rubbing alcohol can tear the clothing and form holes if poured over fabrics containing acetone, such as rayon or satin.
6. Do not pour chlorine bleach on polyester. The bleaching agent doesn’t react well with the fibers and will most likely significantly remove the color from the surface. Moreover, bleach may also degrade polyester.
7. Acrylic softens at high temperatures and may even melt if the temperatures rise significantly. For this reason, avoid pouring hot water on the acrylic fabric.
8. It is best to take clothes made of silk, wool, velvet, chiffon, leather, acetate, and taffeta to the dry cleaner.

 

Methods To Get Lipstick Out of Clothes

Here are some of the commonly used methods that can effectively get lipstick out of your clothes. Apply the methods that work best for your fabric and keep the basic washing/care tips in mind.

1. Using Shaving Cream

Here are some commonly used methods to effectively get lipstick out of your clothes. Apply the best techniques for your fabric and keep the essential washing/care tips in mind.

 

• Put the garment out and flatten it so the stain is visible.
• Take out an appropriate amount of shaving cream to fully cover the lipstick stain and its surroundings.
• Use tissue paper or a credit card to blot the shaving cream into the stain, ensuring that the cream has soaked the fabric thoroughly.
• Let the cream set in for a few minutes.
• Wash the garment with laundry detergent and check the stain after washing.
• If the stain is persistent, don’t put it in the dryer. Instead, repeat the process as many times as needed.

2. Using Alcohol

As already mentioned above, rubbing alcohol is only for some fabrics. It can only be used on non-delicate items and not on materials such as wool, rayon, or satin. If your material is non-delicate, here is what you can do:

• Take a paper towel, cotton ball/swab, or cloth and drip it into alcohol.
• Gently blot the fabric with alcohol, such as if it is soaked with the substance.
• Alcohol can be a great removing agent, and you will notice the stain slowly fading away.
• If the stain is gone, wash the fabric with cold water. If not, repeat the process and wash the clothes as usual.

 

3. Using Hand Sanitizer or Hairspray

An alternative to rubbing alcohol could be a hand sanitizer or a hairspray that contains alcohol in it. All you need to do is:

• Spray a little hand sanitizer or hairspray on the affected area. Try to limit the spray to the stain and spare the regular fabric.
• Use a paper towel or a wet cloth to blot the spray until the lipstick stain is completely gone.
• Use cold water to rinse the garment and then wash with detergent as usual.

 

4. Using a Dish Soap

By far, one of the most common methods to remove lipstick stains, and the most popularly known by laymen, is using dish soap. Since detergents, dish soaps, and shampoos serve the same purpose, they have cleaning properties that can be tried on lipstick stains.

Here’s how you do it:

• Get a towel and lay down the garment so that the side with the stain is on the downside, in touch with the towel.
• Soak the towel and the garment in water and focus the pressure of the water on the backside of the stain.
• Let it sit for about 10 to 20 minutes. The results improve as long as you let the arrangement sit.
• Get a paper towel and blot the stain. Be sure not to rub the stain, as it will cause the lipstick to smear further on the standard fabric. Ideally, the stain would transfer to the paper towel.
• Keep changing the paper towels and blot until the entire stain is gone.
• After checking the stain is really gone, wash the clothes normally.

5. Using Lemon Juice and Baking Soda

Another effective method to get lipstick stains out of clothes is by mixing equal parts lemon juice and baking soda, which will form a paste. With the help of a damp cloth, rub the paste onto the stain gently. Make sure that the stain is completely covered, and then let the arrangement sit for around 30 minutes.

Once the 30-minute mark is up, remove the paste to check out the stain. If the stain is still there, repeat the process until it is completely gone. After that, wash the clothes with a detergent.

Tip: Only try this method if the fabric is not delicate because the acidic nature of lemon juice can undo many materials and can even lighten their color.

6. Using Vinegar and Salt

Vinegar and salt work on the principle of lemon juice and baking soda. Here is what you can do:

• Take one part vinegar and one part salt and mix them together to make a paste.
• With the help of a damp cloth, rub the paste onto the stain gently.
• Make sure that the stain is completely covered, and then let the arrangement sit for around 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, wipe the paste away to check if the stain is any better.
• Repeat the process until the stain is completely gone, and then wash the garments as you would normally.

7. Using Micellar Water

It makes sense that when micellar water works for removing heavy makeup from the face, it can also work on garments to remove sticky lipstick stains. People tend to turn to this option as a first aid due to its popular indication for makeup removal. The best thing about this method is that you can try this on any fabric.

To make use of this method, follow these steps:

• Take a bottle of micellar water and some cotton swabs. Pour a few drops of micellar water on the stained piece of clothing, focusing on the lipstick, and use the cotton swab to dab on the stain.
• Repeat the process a few times until the stain is lightened.
• Pour a few more drops and then let the garment rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Wash the cloth with hot water and use detergent as usual.

8. Using Peanut Butter

This one is hands down the most unusual method to remove a stain, but peanut butter has proven to be effective in this regard. Here are the steps:

• Spread a small amount of peanut butter on the lipstick stain. Make sure you restrict the paste to the stain and protect the everyday clothing as much as you can.
• Allow the arrangement to rest until the peanut butter gets dry. Wait around 30 minutes.
• Wash the garment in warm water with laundry detergent.
• Check if the stain is completely gone. If not, repeat the process a few more times.

9. Using Ammonia

Being a common and inexpensive household cleaning item, ammonia is a great way to take out stubborn stains like lipstick. The compounds in ammonia quickly break down the lipstick stain and get them out in a jiffy. You can follow these three easy steps to use ammonia for this purpose:

• Soak a cotton swab in ammonia and dab it over the lipstick stain.
• Check out if the lipstick stain is fading. If yes, repeat the process a few more times until the stain is completely gone.
• Once the stain is removed, launder the garment as usual. The smell of ammonia is strong, so it’s better to use a pleasant-smelling laundry detergent to get the solid essential smell out.

Additional Tips

In addition to the multiple methods to get lipstick out of clothes, there are some additional tips that you should keep in mind that will assist in the removal. It’s better to follow the steps mentioned earlier on first. If none of them work for you, you can try following these tips:

• Whichever method you choose, remember that it is better to dab than to rub the substance on the stain. This is because rubbing the stain is more likely to make the mess worse. It can smear the lipstick in different directions and can harm the fabric as well. Instead, gently dab the affected area for maximum impact. Dabbing would actually absorb the substance you poured faster.
• Nobody wants to make cleaning a fashion disaster and end up with clothes that are more ruined than before. That’s why the better way is to apply the substance you intend to use on a small area of clothing, preferably somewhere hidden, so that even if there is an unwanted reaction, it doesn’t ruin the entire outfit.
• A tip to prevent these mishaps from happening is that always put your makeup before you change into your outfit. While lipstick stains are not that hard to get out of clothes, other stains may be much more difficult. Heavy foundations, contour, serums, and mascara can quickly become a nightmare. So keep a shirt handy that you can wear before putting on makeup.

Conclusion

Lipstick stains can ruin your day before it has even started. For that occasion, you can use any of these nine methods to effectively remove the stains from your favorite pieces of clothing and reclaim your day. The safest bet is micellar water or rubbing alcohol which has been tried and tested by many people who suffered from the same accident.

Make sure you test these substances on a smaller area so that you don’t have to throw out the entire outfit if something goes wrong.