I Just Found Out How Easy It Is to Remove Lipstick Stains from Clothes (I Wish I Knew It Sooner!)

Growing up, I participated in pageants. I was in three of them, wore the Miss Wadsworth crown once, and spent several other years as an ambassador and judge. One thing that pageants and all the events associated with them require is wearing makeup, and something I’ve learned the hard way through my experience is that lipstick can stain your clothes (which makes me feel bad for all the times I stained a shirt that my mom had to clean up). 

If you’re a regular lipstick wearer and have noticed the same fate of your own garments, don’t fret. I spoke to a clothing expert to find out exactly how to get lipstick out of clothes.

You’ve likely already got all the supplies you need to remove lipstick stains in your home. Here’s what to gather.

• A dull knife
• Liquid dish soap
• Warm water
• A soft brush or toothbrush

If you can, try to clean up the lipstick on your clothes right away. “Lipstick can be difficult to remove due to its oils and pigment,” says Frej Lewenhaupt, cofounder and chief product officer of Steamery, a Scandinavian textile care company. Basically, the longer it sits, the harder it will be to remove. Follow these steps to stop the stain before it starts.

1. Scrape any excess lipstick from the garment. Use the dull knife to remove any excess lipstick. Try to stay within the boundaries of the spot so it doesn’t spread.
2. Apply dish soap to the stain. Put a teaspoon of liquid dish soap on the surface of the spot and another teaspoon on the other side of the fabric. Do not rub it in as that can spread the stain.
3. Fill a sink or bucket with warm water and some dish soap. Once you fill up your sink or bucket with warm water, add a few drops of dish soap.
4. Add your garment and let it soak. Place your garment into the soapy water and let it soak for a few hours.
5. Scrub the stain. Using the soft brush or toothbrush, gently scrub from the outside of the stain inward.
6. Rinse out the dish soap. Rinse it clean, but if the stain is still there, repeat the process (steps 2-5) and rinse again.
7. Apply laundry detergent and baking soda to stubborn stains, if needed. Particularly stubborn lipstick stains can be treated with a one-to-one mixture of liquid laundry detergent and baking soda. “Apply the mix to the stain with a clean makeup brush and let it soak for 15 minutes, then wash the garment according to the care label,” shares Lewenhaupt.
8. Launder normally and air dry. Put the clothing through a wash cycle and air dry.

If the lipstick is already dried onto your clothing, try not to worry. “Dried lipstick stains are tougher but not hopeless,” Lewenhaupt says. He suggests using the same method as fresh lipstick stains, but let your clothes soak for longer — preferably overnight. If the stain is still there after you brush it, repeat the steps.