Lipstick Stain Removal

It has happened with many of us, that our clothes got stained with lipstick, usually accidentally, so there is a great possibility that we would like to remove it. Especially in the case of men, so their wife won't notice it.

Naturally, the safest way to treat stains is to prevent them, but if prevention wasn't enough, here are some methods to treat the stain.

Of course before we do anything we have to make sure that we won't ruin the clothing, so we have to check the label. If it needs special cleaning we should rather take to a professional cleaner. If that is not the case, we may try to resolve it on our own.

First of all we have to remember that lipstick is oil based, so we have to find something that removes oily staines. Only solvent based removers can help, water based or wet spotters will only spread and set the stain. It is always useful to start with a pre-wash.



The first method that I would recommend is alcohol. Be careful, do not rub, because you will spread the stain. You should take a clean, preferably white cloth and moisten it with alcohol. Then simply blot the lipstick stain, which will disappear.

Another good method is to use dish washing detergent which is formulated to fight grease. In this case dab a little dish washing detergent on the stain and let it set for a while. Then start working on the stain from the edges inward.

If none of these methods seem to be good enough for you, you can try using ammonia. Almost everybody has ammonia at home for cleaning purposes, but if not, it can be found at almost any grocery store and it is very cheap. First you should start blotting of as much of the stain as possible, using plain water. Then, using a cotton swab moisturized with ammonia, dab the stain. Once the stain starts to disappear, wash the clothing in warm, soapy water by hand, preferably using dish washing detergent.



I think that the fourth method is the most simple, and I can say that it is the oldest trick in the book. If the cloths fabric permits it, spray some hairspray on the stain and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then take a clean cloth, moisten it with warm water and then simply wipe the stain away. If this does not work, try washing again, but with dish washing detergent this time.

It is said that it is also useful in the case of lipstick stains if you treat the stain with salt before washing, to remove lipstick smudges.

In the case of silk or satin fabrics there is another trick that might work: slap a piece of transparent tape on the fabric and then rip it off. If there still is a stain, treat it with a bit of talcum powder.

In the case of cotton fabrics it is said that nothing is more useful than petroleum jelly: rub petroleum jelly into the fabric and wash it as usual. Don't forget to wash it in cold water.