One of the silliest yet really troublesome stains to get rid of are the ones from your lipstick. Lipstick stains are as tricky to get rid of, as it is hard to keep track of how they got where they are. What makes these stains so hard to work with is their interesting composition – lipsticks contain both oil and waxes along with pigments. Oils can be cleaned with de-greasing cleansers whereas the waxes can be cleaned with the right solvents. Though most of the pigment can come off using one of these solutions, what remains may need some oxidizers for complete cleaning. Quite demanding, right?
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Another trouble that comes with lipstick stains is that these marks are not always easy to find. The longer they stay on a surface, the stronger and more difficult to remove they become. That’s enough on your plate for now, but now you can ease up a little as here we have some of the easiest and the most effective tips on how to remove lipstick stains.
Suggested read: How to choose the right lipstick for your skin tone
1. Use dish soap
When you’re stuck with a lipstick stain at home, you don’t have to worry anymore. Washing the stain with your dish soap or detergent is a great tip that can especially come in handy in an urgent situation. The chemicals in your dish soaps work far better on these types of marks (with a whole lot of oil and pigments) than your regular detergents in general. Get some clean cloth or paper towel and place it underneath what you’re washing. Dab some dish soap on the stain, let it stay there for about ten minutes, and then patiently clear it by working your way inwards.
2. You can rub the lipstick stain off with alcohol
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Isn’t it amazing to know how alcohol can bring you pleasure beyond just consuming it? Alcohol is a promising answer to how to remove lipstick stains, but only if you are willing to share some of it with the cloth, of course! Well, if you wish to get rid of a lipstick stain and you have some alcohol, you’re good to go. Find some clean paper towels (or even a clean cloth would do) and soak one with some alcohol. Just dab the towel gently and repeatedly on the stain, and it’ll be gone in no time. But, just remember to gently blot it on the spot and do NOT rub. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with the stain spreading out even more than before, and we wouldn’t want that, right?
3. Hair spray works wonderfully in removing lipstick stains
This is a classic home remedy that has been working wonders on sinful lipstick stains for a long time now. It’s an easily available product and works quite efficiently on stains. What you need to do is hit the lipstick stain directly with some hairspray and let it rest for about fifteen minutes. Once it settles nicely, you can smoothly rub it with a clean cloth to fully remove the stain. A word of caution – the cloth you’re going to use will soak in the dyes from the stain, so be sure to use something you wouldn’t mind tinted by your lipstick shade. Once you’ve gotten rid of the mark, wash the cloth to fully remove the coloring.
Suggested read: There is a perfect RED lipstick for your skin tone
4. Ammonia promises you a surface clear of stains
Ammonia is an easy remedy for cleaning, and it is very popular in most households. Its cleansing properties help you with a wide range of cleaning tasks. If you don’t have it right now, you can (and you should!) get it from the nearest store right away. When you find a lipstick stain and plan to remove it with ammonia, first soak the stained area a little by dabbing a clean wet cloth on the stained area. Once it’s done, you will need a cotton ball. Moisten the cotton ball with some ammonia and blot it gently on the wet stain. Remember to work your way in from the edges and the complete stain will be gone after a while. Once the stain has faded away, you can finish the cleaning by washing the cloth in lukewarm water with some soap.
5. Even your toothpaste can get rid of the lipstick stains for you
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Toothpaste can work its whitening wonders on more than just your teeth, it can come in handy in cleaning lipstick stains as well, especially on clothing. Start by scraping off as much stain as you can with a plastic knife or spoon, leaving only the part of the stain that is closest to the surface. Now, take a clean cloth and put some toothpaste on it and start rubbing on the mark, gently but thoroughly. After some time, you’ll see that the stain gradually starts to fade away. Repeat the process as necessary until the stain is completely gone. Wet the surface a little with water, and when you wipe it down, the toothpaste will wash the stain away, leaving a completely clean surface.
6. Bleach can clean lipstick stains
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When it’s the question of cleaning anything, bleach is a sure-shot answer that pops into our minds instantly because it has such wonderful effects even on the most rogue marks and stains. But, one thing to be cautious about is checking if it’s safe to use for stain removal on your given surface. Make sure to check the label and proceed only when you’re 100% confident. In some cases, the bleach can also fade away or remove the original color of your beloved clothes along with the stains! So be careful.
For removing lipstick stains with bleach, it’s always safer to work from the other side of the cloth. So, reverse your cloth and place the lipstick stained side on a clean paper towel. Put some bleach on a clean wash cloth and gently dab it on the stain. Let it stay there for a couple of minutes before repeating the step again. After some repetitions, your surface should be clean. And if you feel that the color is coming off at any point, I’d suggest stopping right there.
Suggested read: 12 stunning ways to pull off the brown lipstick
7. Use special stain removers available in the markets
You might wonder why you should bother with buying special stain removers when you already have a stock of dish soap, detergents, ammonia, alcohol, and of course, toothpaste! So, let me give you a great reason for doing so – all of the methods mentioned above are tips you can try. However, I can assure you that they’ll get rid of the stain for you, but what we can’t be sure about is that there are a whole lot of surfaces, and one effective on linen might not work as well on a woolen surface, or one that works brilliantly on clothes might not be a great choice to use on hard surfaces. And let’s not forget the possibility of the colors fading off or losing the fabric strength if we use too much product or don’t use it correctly.
So, with all of that in mind, there’s a whole bunch of excellent cleaning products manufactured for the sole purpose of removing even the most stubborn stains. You can buy a stain remover according to the type of lipstick stain and the surface you’re struggling with. They are super-easy to use (nothing fancy, just use them like you use your regular ones) and they promise you a stain-free surface with minimal risk; and isn’t that a relief you’d really love to experience?
Now that you have your answers for how to remove lipstick stains, I hope you’ll love your stain free collars, cups, and breathe freely now that all marks of naughtiness are gone as well. 😉
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