How to Remove Lipstick Stains from Clothing

Train sings, "Your lipstick stain, on the front lobe of my left side brains. I knew I wouldn't forget you." Lipstick stains are great for funky song lyrics, but on clothing (ahem, collars), not so much. Lipstick is an oil-based product with heavy dyes that can really ruin clothing. How do you get those pesky stains out? The key words are "proactive" and "pre-treat".

The important thing to remember with any stain is preventative maintenance. The sooner you catch a spill or stain, the better chance you have to prevent it from becoming a permanent fixture. So be proactive. You're running late for work. As you yank that white sweater over your head, you swipe your freshly painted lips. Unless you want that blouse to end up as garage sale fodder, get it pre-treat that stain immediately. There are several products that work well for pre-treating stains. I've been a stain crusader for several decades. I've tried dozens of products. Murphy's Oil Soap has gotten me out of many a stain crisis. Typically, I only use Murphy's for upholstery. For clothing and fabrics, I used to be a Spray 'n Wash girl, but lately the formula seems to have changed. Spray n Wash doesn't seem to get color stains out as well as it once did.

For lipstick, which is a wax+oil+dye stain, you'll need a thick liquid variety of stain removers. Here's where Murphy's Oil Soap really does its stuff. Shout Advanced Ultra Gel or Stain-Lifting foam, works very well. If the lipstick stain is on a colored garment, use Shout Color Keeper. Begin by working the stain remover into the fabric a soft old toothbrush works very well. I've tried Stain Stick (you know, the stuff that's like a giant Chapstick that you rub on clothes?). I'm not impressed. Stain Stick is waxy and tends to sit on top of the garment rather than soaking in. So work that gel or foam into the fabric and let it sit until you get home. Don't try to rinse it out immediately. Lipstick is so darn tricky. You may get the waxiness out, but that dye just clings in the clothes.

After the stain remover has had a chance to penetrate the fabric, begin by rinsing it out in warm water. I know, experts get wigged out about using warm or hot water as it can set the stain. My experience is that most fabrics respond better to warm water. The soap component of the stain lifter certainly responds better to warm water than to cold for lather. As you rinse the stain, gently pull on the fabric to loosen the weave and release the trapped lipstick. Continue using your toothbrush to gently scrub. Rinse the toothbrush frequently so that you are not rubbing lipstick back into the garment from the toothbrush.

Finish off by treating the stain with hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide is safe for clothing and great at getting stains out. It's the active ingredient in Oxy-Clean. Wash your garment on delicate or handwash. Hang the garment to dry. Don't dry garment in a clothes dryer until the stain is gone. Once you subject a stain to dryer heat, you may as well accept that it will be a permanent edition to your wardrobe.

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