Skip to Content

6 Ways to Remove Lipstick Stains from Clothes

We are all aware of the inconvenience a lipstick stain can cause, whether it was caused by accidentally smudging it on your clothing in a hurry or your toddler leaving a mark on your shirt. How do you remove lipstick stains from your clothes?

Fortunately, you can take care of it in the comfort of your own home, utilizing various tools and techniques.

Why Lipstick Stains Clothes

Lipstick stains are among the most stringent types of stains since the pigment tends to get caught in the fibers of your clothes.

Why Lipstick Stains Clothes

Lipstick stains are hard to get out since they are not only intensely colored but also contain various components that leave different stains on your shirts, such as oils, waxes, and pigments that can permanently change the color of the cloth.

In essence, lipsticks are sticks of colored oil or wax. While these components guarantee that the lipstick applies smoothly and flawlessly, they also make your clothing vulnerable to stains.

You can’t get rid of the stain without dealing with the dye and the wax simultaneously since the wax and pigment stick to your clothes.

How to Remove Lipstick Stains from Clothes Without Washing

When lipstick stains an item of clothing, you first must resist the instinctive impulse to rub and rinse the stain. Every kind of lipstick—creamy, matte, or glossy—leaves an oily stain.

Lipstick will settle even more firmly if you rub and rinse without using a stain remover since oil repels water.

You should first scrape off the extra lipstick rather than rinse. As soon as you see the stain, get a blunt knife and scrape any leftover lipstick off the item of clothing. It prevents the stain from spreading to other parts of the clothing.

Even though washing may be the best way to completely remove a lipstick stain, there are other ways to remove or lessen lipstick stains on clothes without washing. These include

1. Distilled White Vinegar

Many households have distilled white vinegar, which is a common stain remover. It contains a tiny amount of acetic acid to dissolve stains without harming fabric fibers. You can use distilled white vinegar to remove lipstick stains by following these steps:

Distilled White Vinegar

  • Take one tablespoon of your chosen laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid.
  • Dilute it with two cups of warm water and one spoonful of distilled white vinegar.
  • Use the mixture to soak a clean microfiber towel before dabbing the stain.
  • Afterward, wait 10 minutes. Blot the stain with a paper towel after taking another cloth and dipping it in cold water.

2. Baking Soda and Lemon Mixture

Lemons and baking soda are typical home ingredients. If you don’t already have baking soda, you can easily procure it at your local retail store. These two substances make it simple to get rid of stubborn lipstick stains.

See also  7 Easy Ways to Get Butter Out Of Clothes (Step by Step Guide)

Baking Soda and Lemon Mixture

  • To use the baking soda and lemon juice mixture to get rid of lipstick stains, simply follow these steps:
  • Make a paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of baking soda with half a lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • Put some directly on the stain and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
  • Afterward, wipe off the paste with a wet cloth to check to see if the stain has faded.
  • If the stain is still obvious, dab it again with the paste. This should only be done with fabrics that are not fragile, such as cotton or denim.
  • After the stain has been completely removed, wipe with a wet cloth or wash the clothing.

3. Hairspray

If you have hair spray, you can easily use that to get lipstick stains out of your hair. If you do not, you can buy any regular bottle of hairspray online or from any local store near you. For this to work, the hairspray must contain alcohol.

Hairspray

  • First, gently spray the hairspray onto the lipstick stain.
  • Spray continually until the stain is wet.
  • Allow the spray to soak into the fabric for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Gently wipe the spray off with a paper towel or microfiber cloth
  • Keep dabbing until the paper towel or microfiber cloth has soaked up all the extra moisture and the lipstick stain.

Note that hairspray can only remove lipstick stains if used immediately after the stain has formed.


4. Alcohol Pads Or Wipes

Rubbing alcohol, chemically known as isopropyl alcohol, is a fantastic choice of stain remover. Alcohol should only be used on sturdy materials, though. If the smell of the rubbing alcohol is too strong, you can also use vodka.

Alcohol Pads Or Wipes

  • Apply alcohol to a cotton ball, cloth, or paper towel.
  • Wipe at the lipstick stain gently.
  • Continue until the stain is gone; the stain will start to fade.
  • Rinse the item with cold water after the stain has disappeared.
  • If the stain remains, repeat the process.

5. Shaving Cream

Shaving Cream

Shaving cream is another fantastic option for stain remover. Pre-treating stains is a good trick to get rid of them, especially when they are as challenging to remove as lipstick. Follow these steps before washing:

  • To observe the stain, spread the clothing out flat.
  • Apply enough shaving cream to the site of the stain.
  • To ensure the shaving cream gets into the fibers, the stain should be gently dabbed.
  • Keep the shaving cream on the clothing.
  • Wipe with a wet cloth or rinse thoroughly with cold water.
  • Inspect the stained spot and repeat the process if need be.

Many of the above-listed methods, if not all, will still require washing the stained material with laundry ingredients to get rid of the stain completely.

6. Laundry Detergent Or Dishwashing Liquid

Shampoo, dish soap, and laundry detergent all have a similar combination of components that remove grease and oil. Even better, none of these products will fade the clothing color and are gentle enough for machine-washable articles.

Laundry Detergent Or Dishwashing Liquid

Follow these steps to use dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, or even shampoo to remove lipstick stains;

  • Lay your clothes out on a sheet with the stained side facing downward.
  • Wet the clothing a little with some water.
  • On the fabric’s backside, squirt the cleaning agent of your choice onto the spot where the stain is.
  • Allow the solution to penetrate the wet fabric for 10 to 20 minutes. . The longer this method sits, the more effective it becomes.
  • Start blotting the stain with a wet paper towel.
  • Avoid rubbing the stain.
  • The paper towel will start to absorb the lipstick.
  • Remove the used towel, replace it with a fresh one, and continue blotting until all the lipstick has been removed.
  • Wash your clothes as usual once the stain is no longer noticeable. Wait until you have checked and confirmed that the stain is completely erased before drying.
See also  8 Ways to Get Vaseline Out of Clothes (Step By Step Guide)

How to Get Lipstick Stains Out of Wool

Be cautious when choosing a method because wool is made of natural fibers that require special care. Verify first to make sure the wool item is not only meant for dry cleaning. If washing by machine or hand is okay, take the following steps:

How to Get Lipstick Stains Out of Wool

  • A shampoo or laundry detergent without enzymes is the best option.
  • Let the wool soak up the shampoo or detergent for about 10 minutes.
  • Wash the piece of clothing by hand or in a washing machine if possible.
  • To see if the stain is gone, let the wool air dry.
  • Take the item to the dry cleaner if the stain is still there to prevent harming the fibers.

How to Get Rid of Lipstick Stains from Clothing After Drying

It is typically easiest to get rid of a stain as soon as it occurs because it is much faster to do so. However, if you find a lipstick stain on a piece of clothing that has already been washed and dried, things just get much more difficult.

The stain will have been established and made even more difficult to remove by the dryer’s heat. But don’t be alarmed; you should be able to remove the stain; it might take a few tries.

To remove stains from washed and dried clothing, follow the steps below. Ensure that you properly rinse the area after each treatment.

Even if you have to repeat several processes or try a few other techniques, the stain should gradually fade. Calling the dry cleaner is completely appropriate if everything else fails.

  • Gently use a clean cloth and some rubbing alcohol to scrub at the stain for about a minute.
  • Spray on an alcoholic hairspray, let it sit for 15 minutes, and then dab it with a cloth dipped in warm water.
  • Apply nail polish remover or mineral spirits to the stain, then clean with old toothbrushes.
  • Use rubbing alcohol to clean the area, then blot it dry.
  • Use diluted dish soap to spray on the discoloration.
  • Add some petroleum jelly to the stain and massage it using a cloth or an old toothbrush.
  • After applying liquid glycerin to the stain, leave it alone for around 30 minutes.
  • To cure the stain, use an eyedropper with diluted ammonia, vinegar, or oxygen bleach.

Another method is to make a paste out of vinegar and baking soda and apply it to the stain. Rinse the clothing in the morning after letting it soak in a solution of detergent and water overnight.

What to Remember:

Lipstick stains are notoriously difficult to remove, so an unintentional smear can ruin your perfectly tailored attire. Lipstick stains are a laundry nightmare due to the wax, oil, and color mixture, and some do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions may even worsen the stain.

It’s critical to cure lipstick stains on recently dry-cleaned clothing using a two-pronged strategy: remove the wax and then go after the color. The fabric’s integrity will be preserved with careful handling. Listed below are a few more things to keep in mind before removing the stain.

See also  Best Fabric for Hoodies (Complete Guide)

1. The Quicker You Act, the Better

Be quick to take action if you spot a lipstick stain on some clothing. Older stains are far more difficult to remove than more recent ones. If you are out running errands or traveling, you can improvise using one of the solutions suggested below.

2. Scrape Away Excess Lipstick Before Attempting to Clean the Stain

Without further smearing the lipstick, scrape away the solid particles with a knife, toothpick, or even the edge of a credit card. Making this step before continuing will make removing the stain much simpler.

3. Check the Fabric Label and Read the Instructions on the Cleaning Agent

There aren’t many items in the world without a care label. If you need direction on how to proceed, look at the instructions.

The material your clothes are made of is the most significant aspect of that label. Some materials should be taken to the dry cleaner for stain removal since they react negatively to some chemicals.

  • The following points should be remembered:
  • Avoid using acetone or rubbing alcohol on satin or rayon materials containing acetate.
  • On polyester, stay away from chlorine bleach.
  • Never put acrylic in hot water.
  • On wool, never use alcohol or bleach.
  • The best thing to do is take your silk, velvet, wool, taffeta, chiffon, leather, suede, and acetate to the dry cleaners’.
  • Due to the durability of denim, stains can be removed slightly more forcefully than on more delicate clothing. The stain will be removed with the aid of this friction, but be careful not to overdo it and risk injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Vinegar Get Out Lipstick Stains?

Yes. White vinegar combined with dish soap will successfully remove lipstick stains from clothing, although vinegar alone might not be sufficient.

Can You Remove Lipstick from Clothes With Toothpaste?

Such suggestions can be found in great numbers online. However, we do not advise using toothpaste to remove lipstick stains, as it is not very effective and is likely to harm the fabric of your clothing.

How Can One Clean Lipstick Stains from Clothes Made of Silk?

The best and safest approach to removing lipstick stains from silk clothing is with rubbing alcohol, but before you do so, make sure the lipstick is colorfast by reading the label. If not, use a detergent like Breeze and wash the affected area by hand.

Final Words

No matter how well your hand-eye coordination is, makeup accidents and smudges are unavoidable, and this is a universal truth. If it does happen, you’re left wondering how to remove makeup from clothing, ideally without making the stain appear worse.

A lipstick stain is simple to get rid of. Use a knife to scrape off the extra lipstick. Select the proper stain remover based on the clothes’ fabric, color, and care label. To remove lipstick, correctly use the stain remover. After that, wash and air-dry the item as usual.

Rate this post