How Can You Get Lipstick Out of Clothes: A Repeatable Care Routine

You hugged your friend at a party and she was wearing bright red lipstick. Now you have a red mark across your cheek and a matching one on your shirt collar. You blotted with a napkin and the stain spread. Lipstick is one of the trickiest stains because it combines oil (from the waxy base) and dye (from the pigment). Each component needs a different treatment.

Lipstick stains are a combination of oil-based wax and color dye that bond with fabric fibers. The oil repels water, and the dye acts like a permanent color marker. Removing lipstick requires breaking down the oil first, then lifting the dye.

To get lipstick out of clothes, scrape off excess lipstick, apply dish soap to break down the oil, blot with rubbing alcohol to lift the dye, then wash in warm water with an enzyme detergent. For stubborn stains, use a dedicated stain remover before washing. Don’t rub, and don’t use hot water first.

Step One: Remove the Excess

Before applying any treatment, scrape off as much lipstick as possible. Use the edge of a butter knife or credit card to lift the excess away from the fabric. Don’t rub, as rubbing pushes the oil and dye deeper into the fibers and spreads the stain.

If the lipstick is soft or smeared, place an ice cube on it for 2 minutes to harden it first. Hard lipstick scrapes off more easily than soft lipstick.

Step Two: Break Down the Oil

Lipstick’s waxy base is oil-based, which means water alone can’t remove it. You need a surfactant that breaks down oil molecules.

Apply a small amount of Dawn Ultra Dish Soap directly to the stain. Work it in gently with your fingers. The surfactants in dish soap break the oil into tiny droplets that water can rinse away. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

The drawback: dish soap alone may not fully remove the dye component of the lipstick. You’ll likely need a second treatment for the color.

Step Three: Lift the Dye

After the dish soap has broken down the oil, you need to lift the color dye. Several products work:

Rubbing alcohol: Dab rubbing alcohol onto the stain with a cotton ball. The alcohol dissolves the dye’s solvent base, allowing the color to lift from the fabric. Blot with a clean cloth. Don’t rub. Test on an inconspicuous area first, as alcohol can affect some fabric dyes.

Makeup remover: If you have liquid makeup remover at home, it’s formulated to dissolve lipstick. Apply it to the stain, let it sit for 5 minutes, then blot with a clean cloth.

Hairspray: Older hairspray formulations contained enough alcohol to dissolve lipstick dye. Modern formulations have less alcohol, so this is less reliable than rubbing alcohol, but it can work in a pinch.

Step Four: Wash and Check

After treating the stain, wash the garment in warm water with an enzyme detergent like Tide Free & Gentle. The enzymes help break down any remaining oil and dye components.

Check the stain before putting the garment in the dryer. If any color remains, repeat the process. Dryer heat will set the dye permanently.

For Stubborn or Set-In Lipstick Stains

If the lipstick has been sitting for hours or has been through the wash, you need a stronger treatment.

OxiClean Max Force Spray contains enzymes and oxygen bleach that break down set-in oil and dye stains. Spray the stain until saturated, let it sit for 10 minutes, then wash in warm water with your regular detergent.

The flaw: OxiClean isn’t safe on all fabrics. Skip it on silk, wool, leather, and anything labeled dry-clean only.

For white fabrics, you can use hydrogen peroxide. Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide on the stain, let it bubble for 5 minutes, then rinse and wash. Hydrogen peroxide has a mild bleaching effect, so it’s only safe on white and light fabrics.

What Not to Do

Don’t rub. Rubbing spreads the oil and dye over a larger area and pushes it deeper into the fibers. Always blot.

Don’t use hot water first. Hot water can melt the waxy base and spread the oil, making the stain larger. Use warm water only after you’ve broken down the oil with dish soap.

Don’t put the garment in the dryer. Dryer heat sets the dye permanently. Always air dry and check first.

Don’t use bar soap. Some bar soaps contain oils that can make the stain worse. Stick with liquid dish soap.

Method Comparison

Method	Best For	Time	Fabric Safety
Dish soap + alcohol	Fresh lipstick, most fabrics	20 minutes	Test alcohol on dark colors
Makeup remover	Fresh lipstick	15 minutes	Safe on most washables
OxiClean Max Force	Set-in lipstick	20 minutes	Not for silk or wool
Hydrogen peroxide	White fabrics with set-in lipstick	15 minutes	Can fade dark colors

FAQ

How do you get lipstick out of clothes? Scrape off excess lipstick, apply dish soap to break down the oil, blot with rubbing alcohol to lift the dye, then wash in warm water with an enzyme detergent. Check before drying. Don’t rub or use hot water first.

Does dish soap remove lipstick from clothes? Dish soap breaks down the oil in lipstick but may not fully remove the dye. After applying dish soap, follow up with rubbing alcohol to lift the color, then wash with an enzyme detergent.

Will rubbing alcohol remove lipstick from clothes? Yes. Rubbing alcohol dissolves the dye’s solvent base, allowing the color to lift from the fabric. Dab it on with a cotton ball, blot with a clean cloth, then wash. Test on an inconspicuous area first.

Can you get dried lipstick out of clothes? Yes, but it’s harder. Apply OxiClean Max Force Spray to the stain, let it sit for 10 minutes, then wash in warm water with an enzyme detergent. For white fabrics, use hydrogen peroxide. Check before drying.

Does hairspray remove lipstick from clothes? Hairspray can work on fresh lipstick stains because it contains alcohol. However, modern hairsprays have less alcohol than older formulations. Rubbing alcohol is more reliable.

How do you remove lipstick from delicate fabrics? For silk and wool, blot with cold water and take the garment to a professional cleaner. Most home stain removers, including dish soap and OxiClean, are too harsh for these fibers.

Can you wash lipstick-stained clothes with other clothes? Don’t wash a lipstick-stained garment with other clothes until you’ve treated the stain. The oil and dye can transfer to other items in the wash. Treat the stain first, then wash separately.

References

1. Tide. “How to Remove Makeup Stains from Clothes.” tide.com.
2. The Spruce. “How to Remove Lipstick Stains.” thespruce.com.
3. Good Housekeeping. “How to Get Lipstick Out of Clothes.” goodhousekeeping.com.
4. OxiClean. “How to Remove Makeup Stains.” oxiclean.com.