How to Get Lipstick Out of Objects

Co-authored by Regina DeCorte

Last Updated: November 15, 2022 Approved

Modern lipstick is made with a variety of petroleum-based chemicals, natural oils, and man-made dyes. When lipstick lands somewhere other than lips, its dense color can dye materials permanently. Luckily, if you act quickly, you can get the color out.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Hairspray

1
Check your fabric. Again, make sure that the fabric doesn’t have any special care instructions. If it does, do not spray hairspray purposely over the lipstick or the stain could get worse.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Spray directly onto the stain. Use any formula hairspray and spray it directly onto the lipstick stain. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

Advertisement
3
Use a clean cloth and warm water. Dampen your cloth with water, and begin to dab away the lipstick. This cloth will absorb the dye, so use one that you don’t mind ruining.^{[2]
X
Research source}
4
Rinse the fabric. Depending on the deepness of color in the lipstick stain, this method may not pull all of the lipstick off. If this is the case, follow up with using dish soap. This combination will be mild enough on your clothing to keep it from getting damaged. Once the stain is completely removed, it will be safe to dry the fabric.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Dish Soap

1
Check your fabric. If you’ve gotten lipstick on your clothes, you need to check the label to determine the fabric. A lot of clothes require special treatment, such as dry cleaning, so you may need to take it directly to a professional. If there are no special treatment directions, go ahead and take out the lipstick stain at home.
2
Use a clean paper towel or cloth. Make sure that whatever you choose to use is something you can throw out. This will absorb the colored lipstick from your clothing.
3
Put the item over your paper towel. Place the clothing stain side down over your paper towel. Before you start working—remember that the key to removing the stain is to work gently from the outer edge of the stain inward.^{[3]
X
Research source}
4
Dab the stained area with mild dish soap. Dawn, or any other mild soap that’s formulated to fight grease will work. Put the soap on a paper towel or cloth if you’d like. Once you’ve covered the spot with dish soap, let it sit for 10 minutes.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- If using cloth or a sponge to dab the fabric with, make sure it is clean and has not been used for other purposes.
5
Put pressure on the stain. Once you’ve let the dish soap sit for 10 minutes, use a paper towel to apply pressure on the stain. You can scrub it, but be gentle enough not to damage your clothes. This will force the soap and the stain into the paper towel beneath it. Replace the paper towel underneath the stain as needed. If you leave it for too long, your stain will spread rather than disappear.^{[5]
X
Research source}
6
Rinse and wash the fabric. Once you’ve removed the stain, rinse the fabric with water. Wash it as you normally would and check to make sure the stain is gone. If the stain isn't gone, repeat the dish soap process. Once the stain is gone, your garment will be safe to dry.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Removing Upholstery Stains

1
Scrape off chunks of lipstick. If there are any clumps of lipstick, take a plastic knife or spoon to remove them. Try not to spread them over the upholstery as you do this.
2
Use a clean cloth. Apply some toothpaste to the clean cloth and rub it around so that it’s evenly spread over an inch of the cloth. You can use any toothpaste that you have handy.
3
Scrub the stain. Using the cloth, toothpaste side down, begin scrubbing. Add toothpaste if you notice that it has spread too thin. As you scrub, you’ll see the stain gradually begin to lift off of the furniture and onto the cloth.
4
Wipe down the upholstery. Once the lipstick coloring has come off your upholstery, you may have some left over toothpaste. Simply wet the area and wipe it down. You may have to do this a couple times to get rid of the remaining toothpaste, but it will leave you with clean upholstery.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Removing Lipstick from Hard Surfaces

1
Identify your surface. Lipstick can stain hard surfaces such as acrylic plastic, glass, porcelain dishes, stainless steel, vinyl, and more. Once you see the stain, get a cloth, dish soap, and ammonia.
2
Get your cloth wet. Use warm, sudsy water to wet your dish cloth. Wipe over your stain in small, circular motions. After 5-10 minutes, rinse well and wipe dry.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- If the stain has penetrated a hard surface, such as natural stone, then it is best to use a paste made from baking soda and water. Make the paste, then apply using a soft clean cloth or sponge. After 5-10 minutes, gently wipe off with the soft cloth or sponge.
3
Add ammonia. If the stain remains, add a few drops of ammonia to your cloth. Dampen your cloth once again with sudsy water and scrub.
4
Rinse well and dry. Use a clean cloth to rinse and wipe clean. It will pick up any remaining lipstick from your hard surface.^{[7]
X
Research source}

Community Q&A

Question

How do I remove lipstick from my hair?

Community Answer

Just try washing your hair. If that doesn't work, get some makeup remover and mix it with some shampoo.
Question

How can I get it out if the fabric has already gone through the dryer?

Community Answer

Try dipping a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and lightly dab it on the fabric.
Question

How do I get lipstick stains off my white mattress protector?

Community Answer

Try the toothpaste method, and add a little sugar to the mix to make it easer.