Lipstick
Although lipstick typically looks wonderful on a woman's lips, it doesn't look so hot on clothing, bedding or upholstered car seats. Lipstick stains are perhaps one of the trickiest stains to remove. This is because lipstick is basically an oily base that contains a dye. This oiliness makes it difficult to lift the lipstick from fabrics and other surfaces.
Rubbing Alcohol
Remove lipstick stains with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol can often get lipstick stains out of washable fabrics, such as cotton, polyester, linen, nylon, acrylic and Spandex. Dab a soft cloth into a small amount of rubbing alcohol, and then gently blot the stain until the lipstick starts lifting off of the fabric. Keep dabbing at the stain with a new part of the cloth. Once the lipstick stain is gone, rinse the fabric by blotting it with cold water.
Hair Spray
Treat lipstick-stained, washable fabrics with hair spray. Just spray a bit of the hairspray directly onto the stain. Let it soak into the fabric for about five minutes, and then blot it with a damp, clean cloth. Keep spraying and blotting the fabric until the lipstick stain is entirely gone. Wash the fabric as usual.
Toothpaste
Use white toothpaste to remove lipstick stains from washable fabrics. Put a small dab of toothpaste onto your finger, and gently massage it into the stain. Rinse the fabric well in cold water. Be sure to only try this removal method with white toothpaste. Colored toothpaste typically adds additional stains to the fabric.
Petroleum Jelly
Lift lipstick stains with petroleum jelly. You can sometimes successfully remove lipstick stains from washable fabrics by rubbing a bit of petroleum jelly into the stain and letting it sit for about two minutes. Then gently massage the stain until the lipstick mark is gone. This removal method occasionally leaves a greasy stain behind. If this happens, simply sprinkle some baking soda onto the grease stain and wash the item as usual.
Ammonia
Clean lipstick stains with ammonia. Begin by gently blotting off as much of the lipstick as possible. Pour a bit of ammonia onto a soft cloth and dab it directly on the stain. Hand wash the garment in warm water and liquid laundry soap. Repeat this process until the lipstick stain is gone.
Commercial Stain Removers
Pre-treat a lipstick stain with a commercial stain remover product. These products come in a stick or a liquid form. Spray or rub the stain remover directly onto the stain following the manufacturer's directions. Allow the item to sit for at least an hour. Run your stained garment through the washing machine using cold water. Repeat this process until the lip stick stain is gone.
Mild Dishwashing Detergent
Use mild dishwashing detergent to remove lipstick stains from non-fabric items. A solution of mild dishwashing detergent and water generally lifts lipstick stains from plastic, glass, ceramic, painted, stainless steel or porcelain surfaces. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the detergent into a gallon of warm water. Dip a clean cloth into the sudsy water and wipe the stain. Rinse the surface and wipe dry. This method also works to get lipstick off of vynal, leather and suede fabrics.
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