How to get makeup and lipstick out of clothes

Identify the makeup first

Powders (setting powder, blush, bronzer, loose eyeshadow) are pigment particles with a little binder. Dry, they mostly shake out; wet, they turn into paint and work into the weave. Water based liquids (many lightweight foundations, tinted moisturizers, some concealers) rinse out with detergent and water. Oil and wax based products (long wear and full coverage foundations, cream blush, lipstick, lip liner, waterproof mascara and pencil eyeliner) resist water and need something that dissolves oil before detergent can finish the job. The University of Georgia Extension divides its advice along the same line.

If you do not know which you are dealing with, look at the stain. A matte, dusty mark is powder. A flat stain that darkens the fabric like water is probably water based. A shiny, slightly raised or greasy edge, or anything that says waterproof or long wear on the packaging, is oil or wax based. When in doubt, treat it as oily, because the oil first method does not harm a water based stain.

How to get foundation and powder out of clothes

Start with any powder by removing it dry. Hold the garment away from you and flick the fabric, then brush the rest off with a clean makeup brush, lift it with tape or use the hose of a vacuum. Only once no more comes off should you treat the faint tint left behind with a little liquid detergent and cool water.

For liquid foundation, blot the excess with a paper towel, then work a few drops of liquid laundry detergent into both sides of the stain with your fingertips. A small drop of hand dishwashing liquid such as Dawn is a good alternative because foundation contains oils and dish soap is designed to cut grease. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, rinse with cool water from the back of the fabric, and look: most water based foundation is gone at this point. Wash as usual in the warmest water the care label allows. If an oil based, long wear foundation has left a beige outline, use the oil first method below before the wash.

Foundation stains on white clothes, particularly shirt collars that collect a little every day, often build up into a yellowish band mixed with skin oils. Treat them with detergent before every wash, and every few weeks give white cotton an oxygen bleach soak. Our guide to washing white clothes explains the routine.

How to get lipstick, mascara and eyeliner out of clothes

Lipstick is wax, oil and strong pigment, and it is the makeup stain most likely to spread if you attack it with soap and water. Water cannot dissolve wax, so the first job is to loosen the oily part with rubbing alcohol or a solvent based prewash stain remover, dabbed from the front while an absorbent towel underneath catches the color. The American Cleaning Institute suggests this dabbing method for lipstick. Detergent and an ordinary wash then remove what is left.

Waterproof mascara and pencil eyeliner work the same way; micellar water or an oil based makeup remover can also loosen them, but rinse the remover out with detergent afterward so it does not leave an oily ring of its own. Test rubbing alcohol on a hidden seam first, because it can lift some dyes. Skip nail polish remover: acetone dissolves acetate fabric outright and is harsher than this job needs.

1. 01

   Scrape and blot

   Lift off any excess lipstick or smudged mascara with a dull edge and blot, never rub. Rubbing spreads wax into a wider, paler stain that is harder to finish.

2. 02

   Dissolve the oil

   Dab with rubbing alcohol or a solvent stain remover from the front, over an absorbent towel. You should see color moving into the towel.

3. 03

   Wash out the residue

   Work in liquid detergent, leave it for a few minutes, rinse with cool water and launder as usual.

4. 04

   Check before drying

   Inspect the damp fabric in daylight. If a pink or gray shadow remains, repeat the first two steps; heat from a dryer can fix wax and pigment in place.

Dried and old makeup stains

Makeup does not usually stain permanently, but it can become stubborn once it has been through a hot dryer or has sat on a collar for weeks. For a dried stain, apply liquid detergent or a prewash stain remover and leave it for 15 to 30 minutes before rinsing, then soak the garment for a few hours in warm water with detergent. On oil based stains, go back to the alcohol or solvent step first. Oxygen bleach can lift remaining tint on whites and colorfast fabrics; see our guide to using oxygen bleach.

Stubborn yellow or orange marks on white shirts are sometimes not makeup at all but a mix of sunscreen, deodorant and skin oil, and some sunscreen ingredients react with minerals in water. If that sounds familiar, our guides on sunscreen stains and deodorant and sweat stains cover those cases.

Getting makeup out without washing, and on delicate fabrics

If you are already dressed, or the piece is dry clean only, you can often remove light makeup in place. Blot foundation with a baby wipe or a damp cloth with a trace of mild soap, working from the outside of the mark inward. For lipstick, dab gently with a makeup wipe or micellar water on a cotton pad, then blot with a clean damp cloth to remove the residue. Let the spot air dry and see whether it needs proper treatment later.

Silk, wool, rayon and acetate need a lighter hand. Blot rather than rub, test any alcohol on an inside seam first, and use a wool or silk detergent rather than an enzyme product. Anything tailored or labeled dry clean only should go to a cleaner with a note saying it is lipstick or foundation. Our guides to washing silk and reading care labels help you decide what can be handled at home.