You may have heard the common refrain, “I never leave the house without my lipstick.” However, while lipstick may look wonderful on your kisser, it is not nearly so attractive when it stains your clothes. Lipstick stains are particularly hard to remove from clothing and other fabrics because of their complex chemical makeup. However, some standout stain removers, including a cleaning staple you may already have in your home, are highly effective at eliminating waxy, highly pigmented lipstick.
What to Know Before Starting to Remove the Stain
Lipstick is a difficult stain to remove from clothing and other fabrics. The pigment, oils, and wax that give lipstick its hue, texture, and staying power act like glue, which is great for keeping it on your lips but not ideal when the lipstick is on your shirt.
- Blot: When a lipstick stain occurs, the first thing to do is to blot it. Blotting is especially important before introducing a liquid stain remover that might cause it to spread.
- Let Sit: Because of their complexity, lipstick stains require time to remove. Allow anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes of pre-treating time so the stain remover can penetrate and break down the complex elements present in lipstick.
- Use Hot Water (When Possible): While cold water washing is recommended in most circumstances, when laundering a lipstick-stained item, it is best to use the hottest water temperature the fabric can tolerate. Hot water helps to further break down the waxes and oils that are present in lipstick.
How to Remove Lipstick Stains from Clothing
1. Blot the Stain
Before introducing a liquid stain remover, blot as much of the lipstick as possible with a tissue or paper towel to avoid flooding the stain and causing it to spread. To blot lipstick on fabric, bring a tissue (or another similar paper product) down firmly onto the stain and then lift it straight up. Repeat as necessary, rotating or replacing the tissue until no more lipstick appears on the paper. Take care not to wipe or brush the stain to avoid smearing the lipstick.
2. Pre-Treat and Wait
Apply a lipstick stain remover, and allow 20 minutes, or whatever time frame is suggested on the package instructions, for it to penetrate and break down the waxy pigment.
3. Launder
Launder the garment as usual. Follow the instructions on its care tag, using the hottest water temperature the fabric can tolerate.
4. Check Stain and Wash Again, If Necessary
Because lipstick is a tricky combination stain, it may not come out entirely after washing, so it is important to check the garment before putting it in the dryer, as the heat from a dryer can set any lingering traces of the lipstick stain. If the item is still stained, repeat the process of applying a stain remover, allowing it time to work, and then washing it. If there is no trace of the stain, dry the garment as usual.
Best Lipstick Stain Removers
In testing, a clear winner emerged. Best of all, it is a product many people already have in their homes. Additionally, three commercial stain removers also work well on lipstick, as do two household staples that perform well in a pinch.
Best Lipstick Stain Remover: Dawn Platinum Dish Soap
In testing, Dawn Platinum dish soap removed a large red lipstick stain better than any other stain remover, leaving no trace of the makeup behind. To use dish soap to pretreat a lipstick stain, apply it directly onto the stain, making sure to cover it completely. Use the pads of your fingers to gently massage the soap into the stain and then allow it to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes prior to laundering.
To remove lipstick from carpet or upholstery using Dawn Platinum dish soap, apply the soap to the stain, allow 20 minutes for it to penetrate and break down the pigment and wax, and then use a carpet and upholstery cleaning machine to lift the stain and the soap out of the carpet or upholstery fibers.
Very Good Commercial Lipstick Stain Removers
In addition to Dawn Platinum dish soap, the laundry aisle contains stain removers formulated specifically for use on lipstick stains or recommended by experts as being especially effective at removing lipstick stains. Three of them are standouts:
De-Solv-it, a spray-on product, is the most effective of these three at breaking down and eliminating deep red lipstick stains. To use De-Solv-it on lipstick stains, wet the stain with water and spray it with De-Solv-it, agitate the fabric by rubbing it against itself, and then launder the garment as usual.
Kiss Off Stain Remover is a solid stick stain remover. To use it, wet the stain, apply Kiss Off, blot the stain with a rag or paper towel, and then rinse with water, repeating as needed until the stain is gone. While not as effective at removing lipstick stains as Dawn Platinum or De-Solv-it, Kiss Off’s small size—it comes in a tube slightly larger than a lipstick—makes it ideal for putting in a bag, glove compartment, desk drawer, or luggage for use on the go. In addition to lipstick, Kiss Off is formulated to remove stains from blood, coffee, red wine, grease, makeup, oil paint, and grass.
OxiClean Max Force is a foaming formula that performs very well on makeup stains, breaking down the pigment and wax from lipstick. To use OxiClean Max Force, pump the foam directly onto the lipstick stain, allowing 5 to 30 minutes for it to penetrate and break apart the stain before laundering as usual. OxiClean Max Force may require a second pass to remove a lipstick stain entirely, but it is one of the most effective all-around makeup stain removers, and it is especially good at removing mascara stains.
Household Staples that Are Effective Lipstick Stain Removers
Other household staples can be effective at removing lipstick stains from clothing and other fabrics.
Rubbing alcohol is an excellent stain remover for highly pigmented stains like ink or makeup, and it is effective at breaking down lipstick stains. Because it acts as a degreaser, isopropyl alcohol can successfully penetrate the waxy and oily elements in lipstick and lift the pigment out of fabrics, although it may take more than one application to remove the stain entirely. Apply the rubbing alcohol directly to the stain and work it in by rubbing the fabric against itself. Rinse the fabric under cold running water and repeat the process as needed until the stain is gone. Flush the fabric well with cold running water to remove the alcohol so it doesn’t leave a ring.
Liquid laundry detergent is one of the best all-around stain pretreatment products available. It is formulated to treat a wide variety of stain types, including waxes, oils, and pigments, and can be used as a stand-in for stain pretreatment agents. To use liquid laundry detergent to pretreat a lipstick stain, apply enough to completely cover the area, and allow 20 minutes for it to break down the stain before laundering the garment as usual.
