Tips to Clean and Remove Lipstick Stains

Removing lipstick stains from your clothing or any other place it happens to land is a very important and somewhat of a difficult task to handle.

No matter how it got there, getting it out is not as easy as just throwing the shirt into the wash. The fact is that you need to remove the stain from where it starts, deep into the fabric.

There are some very effective methods of doing this, though, so do not worry just yet.

The next time a kiss ends up in the wrong place or the lipstick ends up in the washing machine, you will know what to do to get rid of it.

Removing Lipstick Stains:

When it comes to removing lipstick stain, the most important thing to do is to blot, instead of rubbing. If you take a clean, dry terry cloth and blot the area well, this will remove much of the stain and the oils in the lipstick. Do not rub it in as this will just push the stain further into the fabric and it is likely to cause it to smear, making a larger and more difficult stain to clean.

Here is what you should do first.

1. Use clean white paper towels or a terry cloth to blot the stain as much as possible.
2. When this no longer helps, apply cold water to the stain to keep it from setting.
3. When you can, the sooner the better, use mild detergent on the stained area. Work into the stain gently.
4. Rinse with cold water.
5. Apply a pre treatment to the stained area. Allow to sit for ten minutes, but do not allow to dry.
6. Launder as directed by the label on the clothing. Do not dry in dryer, but allow to air dry to insure the stain is completely removed.

If the stains happens when you are not at home, blot out as much of the stain as possible, making sure not to rub it further into the fabric. Then, rinse the stain with cold water. Wash the stained area as soon as you can when you get home. Most of the time, lipstick stains will come out unless it goes untreated for too long.

Heavy Duty Lipstick Stain Removers:

If the mild detergent solution I mentioned above does not remove the stain, here are some other cleaning solutions to successfully remove a lipstick stains as well.

Alcohol:

Did you know that rubbing alcohol can be quite helpful with removing lipstick? Apply rubbing alcohol to a terry cloth. Then, dab onto the lipstick stain. Use a terry cloth to blot up the stain removed by the alcohol. Make sure you pre treat and wash as directed by the label to insure that the oils come out completely.

Ammonia:

You can also use ammonia to help you to remove stains. Again, blot off as much as possible with your terry cloth, then dab on the ammonia. Blot it right off with the stain. Make sure that you check with the product’s label before using this treatment to keep from staining the fabric even more so. Rinse, pre-treat and then launder as directed.

Removing Lipstick From Inside The Dryer:

Have you had a tube of lipstick end up in the dryer? If so, to get it out, do this:

• While the dryer is still warm, use a clean terry cloth to wipe off as much of the softened lipstick as possible.
• Then, allow it to cool completely.
• Unplug the unit.
• Next, use alcohol on a terry cloth to wipe down the inside.
• If this does not remove all the lipstick, dab just a bit of bleach on a terry cloth to wipe the inside down.

Take your time to make sure that all of the lipstick is gone, you’ll see it on your clothes if even a trace remains. 

Removing Lipstick From Carpeting:

To get lipstick stains out of carpeting, you will want to follow some of the same methods listed above for cleaning fabrics.

Once you’ve found the stain, it’s time to get to work cleaning it. As with most oil based stains, lipstick stains on carpet respond well to rubbing alcohol, so this is a good first step to getting the stain out.

1. Just take a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a clean, white cloth and start dabbing the lipstick stain gently.
2. As you continue to dab the stain, be sure not to wipe or rub the cloth on the carpet to avoid fraying the fibers.

Always use a clean part of the cloth as you work your way around the stain.  You don’t want to put lipstick back onto the carpet as you are trying to clean it.