A blazing red or a deep wine lipstick looks amazing on your puckers, but not so flattering when it ends up on your favorite dress or your lover’s shirt. You might also forget to close the lipstick cap properly when you’re in a hurry and end up smudging your purse. And if you have kids at home, you just never know what they might be drawing on while playing around with your lipstick.
Lipstick is among the hardest stains to get out of clothing and other fabrics. Lip colors are made up of oils, waxes and deep pigments that can easily set into fabric and become a headache to clean later. Therefore, it is important to treat a lipstick stain as soon as you spot one.
If you do it correctly using the right cleaning agents, getting rid of a lipstick stain can be surprisingly easy. Since lipsticks are oil-based, you’ll need to treat them like a grease stain. A number of household items can help you salvage your garment, carpet or handbag.
We tested some of the popular pretreating agents to get lipstick stains out of different fabrics, and most of them fared pretty well.
Before you begin the stain removal process, always check your garment’s label to determine if it’s a fabric that is safe to work on yourself. If it’s a non-washable item or made of silk, wool or cashmere, it is best to take it to a professional to get the stain removed.
For other fabrics, try one of the following methods to remove lipstick stains from clothing, upholstery, carpet or a purse. Before using any cleaning agent, blot the stain with a paper towel to remove any excess wax and oil.
Contents
# Clothing
Method 1: Dish Soap
Dish soap, such as Dawn, is your best bet to get lipstick stains out of your clothes. The soap is mild on clothing and will not ruin the color of your garment. It is strong enough to get the oil-based stain out with just one treatment. In fact, you can also use it for various cleaning hacks around your home.
Things you’ll need:
- Dawn dish soap
- Paper towel
- Flannel cloth
Step 1. Apply dish soap on the lipstick stain
- Place a folded paper towel underneath the stain. It will help absorb the liquid and lipstick.
- Squirt a few drops of dish soap on the stain. Smear it around with your fingers to cover the entire stain.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Step 2. Clean the stain with a wet cloth
- Use the spray bottle to soak a flannel cloth with water.
- Dab at the stain with the wet cloth. You can also give it a light rub, but don’t go overboard or you’ll end up spreading the stain.
- Continue dabbing until the stain has come out sufficiently. If needed, reapply the soap and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
- Launder the garment as usual.
Method 2: Hairspray
Many ladies vouch for the hairspray hack to get rid of lipstick stains. Most hairsprays contain alcohol, which breaks through the greasy lipstick stain and can even be used to remove permanent marker from clothes. Since the expensive hairsprays you may be using have less alcohol, they may not give the best results. For this purpose, the cheaper the more effective.
Step 1. Spritz hairspray on the lipstick stain
- Place a paper towel under the stained area.
- Generously spray the hairspray on the lipstick stain.
- Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2. Blot the stain with paper towels
- Use a folded paper towel to blot the stain. Continue blotting until the stain transfers to the paper towel.
- Use a fresh paper towel when the first one gets too dirty.
- If needed, apply more hairspray until the stain is sufficiently lighter.
- Once done, run the garment through a normal wash cycle to get rid of the stain completely.
Method 3: Rubbing Alcohol
Similar to hairspray, rubbing alcohol can also be used to cut through a lipstick stain. In fact, it is an excellent cleaning and stain removal agent to have around the house. However, it is a tad harsher than hairspray, so do not use it on delicate fabrics.
Single-Step Method: Blot the stain with rubbing alcohol
- Place a folded paper towel beneath the stained area of the garment.
- Pour some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and dab it on the lipstick stain.
- Give it a little rub and continue dabbing. Use a fresh cotton ball when the first one gets too stained.
- Continue blotting until the stain is gone, then launder the garment like you normally do.
# Carpet & Upholstery
Method 1: Vinegar & Dish Soap
While stains on clothes can be easily washed out, cleaning carpet or upholstery can be tricky. A concoction of white vinegar and dish soap can easily remove even the toughest of stains from your carpet, without ruining its fabric.
The dish soap will help cut through the oils in the stain. The vinegar, apart from cleaning the stain, will also disinfect the area. Hence, you can kill two birds with one stone.
Note: Before you use this solution on the stain, do a patch test on a hidden area of the carpet or upholstery to check for any color bleeds.
Things you’ll need:
- Liquid dish soap – 1 tablespoon
- White vinegar – 1 tablespoon
- Warm water – 2 cups
- Dull knife
- Household sponge
- Paper towel
Step 1. Prepare the cleaning solution
- Pour 2 cups of warm water into a pitcher.
- Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to it.
- Add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap as well.
- Stir well to thoroughly blend all the ingredients.
- Transfer the solution to a spray bottle and set it aside.
Step 2. Scrape off any excess lipstick & spray the cleaning solution on the stain
- Use a dull knife to scrape off any clumps of lipstick.
- Spray the cleaning solution on the stain.
- Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3. Blot the stain with paper towels & sponge the area clean
- Use a wadded paper towel to blot the stain. Continue blotting until the lipstick transfers onto the paper towel.
- Soak a household sponge in cold water and gently scrub the area to clean up the soapy residue.
- Soak up any moisture remaining on the carpet with a clean paper towel.
- Allow the area to air-dry.
Method 2: Hairspray
Hairspray can also be used on carpet or upholstery to spot treat a lipstick stain. As mentioned earlier, you’ll need to use a cheap and harsh variety of hairspray to effectively get rid of the stain.
Things you’ll need:
- Hairspray
- Paper towel
- Flannel cloth
Step 1. Apply hairspray on the stain & blot it with paper towels
- Spray hairspray on the lipstick stain.
- Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Dab the loosened stain with a folded paper towel. Continue dabbing until most of the lipstick transfers to the paper towel. Use a fresh paper towel if it gets too dirty.
- Use a damp flannel cloth to remove any traces of the stain and the hairspray.
- If a single attempt doesn’t remove the stain completely, repeat the whole process again.
Method 3: Toothpaste
The micro-abrasives in white toothpaste that keep our teeth clean can also be used effectively to scrub a lipstick stain out of fabric. In fact, you can also use toothpaste to clean and shine your home.
Things you’ll need:
- White toothpaste
- Old toothbrush
- Flannel cloth
- Water in a spray bottle
Step 1. Scrub the stain with toothpaste
- Squeeze out a small dollop of white toothpaste over the lipstick stain.
- Use an old toothbrush to gently scrub the stain until it starts coming off.
Step 2. Wipe the area clean with a damp cloth
- Use the spray bottle to dampen the flannel cloth with water.
- Blot up the toothpaste and stain with the wet cloth. You’ll need to blot it multiple times to lift out the stain. Use a clean side of the cloth when the first one gets stained.
- Vacuum the carpet or upholstery to clean it completely.
# Purse
Method 1: Dish Soap
Managed to get a lipstick stain on your Coach purse? Don’t fret, your trustworthy Dawn dish soap can also be used to get a lipstick stain out of your favorite purse. The process is quite similar to the one used for treating a stain on clothing.
Things you’ll need:
- Liquid dish soap – 1 teaspoon
- Water – 1 cup
- Paper towel
Step 1. Prepare the cleaning solution & dip a wadded paper towel in it
- Add 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to 1 cup of water.
- Stir well and soak the edge of a wadded paper towel with the solution. Squeeze out any excess solution.
Step 2. Blot the stain with the damp paper towel
- Press the damp paper towel against the lipstick stain.
- Blot the stain until it transfers onto the towel. Flip the paper towel once it gets too dirty, then continue blotting.
- If the stain still remains, use a fresh paper towel, soak it in the solution, and dab the stain again until it vanishes.
Method 2: Oil-Based Makeup Remover
Just like you use it to wipe lipstick off your lips, an oil-based makeup remover can also come in handy to remove lipstick stains from your handbag.
Single-Step Method: Spray makeup remover on the stain & blot it with paper towels
- Shake your bottle of makeup remover before use.
- Generously spray the remover on the lipstick stain.
- Blot the stain with a paper towel to lift up the loosened lipstick.
- Continue blotting, using fresh paper towels as needed, until the stain is completely removed.
Method 3: Rubbing Alcohol
You can also use rubbing alcohol to remove lipstick stains from your purse. However, when we tried it, the results were not as satisfactory as compared to the other two methods. Yet, you can use it in a pinch.
Single-Step Method: Wipe the stain with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol
- Pour rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.
- Carefully wipe the stain with the soaked cotton ball. Start from the edges and move toward the center of the stain.
- You’ll need to repeat the process several times to get the stain out. However, rubbing alcohol will only lighten the stain, not remove it completely.
Tips
- Apply a strip of tape over the stain, then carefully peel it off. The lipstick will stick to the adhesive of the tape and come off. You can then use one of the above methods to clean up the residue.
- You can also blot a lipstick stain with a slice of white bread or white Play-Doh. Do not use colored clay or you’ll end up with more stains.
- The key to stain removal is acting on it fast before the stain can set into the fabric.
- If none of the methods work for you, take the garment to a professional dry cleaner.