How To Remove Lipstick Stains From Clothing

Below I've gathered several tips from readers, along with a couple of videos, about how to remove lipstick stains from clothing.

Basically, like with many other types of stain removal instructions, there are several possible ways to remove these stains that work.

Deciding which method you will choose includes what materials you have on hand, what fabric the stain is on, and also some variables you may not be able to control like what type of lipstick got all over your clothes.

That is one of the problems with sharing how to remove various stains -- although typically a certain method works, all lipsticks do not contain exactly the same ingredients. There are different shades, pigments, oil components, etc., all of which can effect what will actually work.

Therefore, my best advice is to try what you think will work, using some of the suggestions below, or my advice on the lipstick stain removal page, and then try something else if that doesn't work.



To make sure you don't set the stain, make sure not to dry the clothing in the dryer until you confirm the stain is completely removed.

In addition, always start with the gentlest method you can for stain removal. There is no point in using something harsh to remove lipstick stains when something gentle will work just as well!

Good luck!

If you have a tip which you don't see below, I would love to hear it, and will be happy to add the best tips to the page for others to benefit from your knowledge.

You can share your stain removal tips here, or read other tips which have already been submitted, such as for other surfaces beside clothing.

In addition, if you would like to share your experience with a specific lipstick stain remover, please share your stain remover review here.

Scroll down to see the tips already submitted!

How I Removed Dried Lipstick Stains On My Scrubs

by SR101 Reader

A reader shared how she removed lipstick stains from her scrubs after she accidentally washed, and then gasp, dried, a tube of lipstick with her scrubs causing a big mess.

SR101 Reader says:

I forgot to check my scrub pockets and didn't notice the lipstick stains until after they had spent 30 minutes in the clothes dryer! To my dismay I thought I had to throw away four sets of scrubs!

So I went to Family Dollar and bought some LA's Totally Awesome degreaser and a bottle of ammonia.

I scrubbed the spots with the Awesome first, then scrubbed them with the ammonia and let it sit for three minutes!

After three minutes I checked on the clothes and rinsed them out and to my amazement the stains were gone! NO need to replace the scrubs!

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for sharing what worked for you. Lipstick stains, in general, are pretty tough, but especially after they have begun to set because they've been heated up in the dryer!

Lots of people have really been amazed by what Totally Awesome Cleaner can do. Check out these reviews:



I would caution with this, or any such strong recipe, that you first test the fabric first in an inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn't cause the color to fade on the garment. However, if the stain is that bad anyway, and you might just have to call it a loss otherwise, you may have nothing to lose!

You can also check out more laundry uses for ammonia here.



In addition, another reader, below, also had lipstick go through the washer and dryer, and shared what stain remover worked for her!

The Stain Remover That Worked When Accidentally Washed & Dried Tube Of Lipstick

Nancy T. said:

I had a tube of lipstick go through the washer and dryer, leaving stains, (of course), on the best clothes in the load.

Mysteriously, the old and faded clothes didn't seem touched, but my newer and better ones I thought were ruined.

Zout worked well to get the stains out. I just rubbed it on, let it sit a bit, scrub, and wash it and the stains came off.

It is a time consuming process, so if it's on underwear I just live with the stains.

Taylor says:

Thanks for the tip Nancy.

You're actually not the first person to praise Zout Stain Remover for working really well on lipstick stains.

You can check out even more reviews and uses for this laundry stain remover here:

How To Remove Lipstick Stains From Clothes

Below is a video which gives tips for how to remove lipstick stains from clothes.

The video suggests using one or more of the following things to remove the lipstick stains from your washable clothing.

• Shaving cream (not shaving gel)


• Mild colorless bar soap, such as Ivory


• Glycerin


• Isopropyl (a.k.a. rubbing alcohol) or denatured alcohol (see submission below for more details); or


• Dishwashing liquid (one reader suggested Dawn specifically, you can see more info below on that too)

The video is basically providing multiple alternative things to try, starting with the mildest stain removal techniques to the harshest.

Obviously, if the first technique works for you just then launder as usual, because you don't need to proceed with the rest of the steps.



There are even more tips below for removing these tough stains from your clothing!

Photo by AlonsoP

Remove Lipstick Stain From Fabric With Alcohol Or Acetone

Below is a video which suggests to remove lipstick stains from fabric with alcohol or acetone.

Specifically, the video suggests first trying rubbing alcohol on the washable fabric.

I like how the video instructs to blot the rubbing alcohol onto the back of the stained cloth.

The reason for this is that it lifts the stain off the clothing, instead of having to have the stain travel through the fabric to be removed.

You can see even more ways to clean and remove stains with alcohol here.

As an alternative to rubbing alcohol you can also use acetone, which the video refers to also as a "grease solvent," to remove lipstick stains from your washable clothing.

(Many nail polish removers are acetone based.)

However, it is important not to use acetone on acetate, or a fabric which contains acetate as part of a blend, because it will dissolve the acetate.

Acetone can also harm silk or wool, so be careful when using it for stain removal.



You can share your rubbing alcohol uses here, or read even more ways you can use this common first aid item for cleaning and stain removal in your home.

Further, you can read additional uses for acetone here, for both stain removal and cleaning throughout your home.

Acetone {Referral Links}

Photo by littledebbie11

Dawn Dish Soap Removed Smudges From Collar

by Christina

Christina says:

I used Dawn to remove lipstick from clothing (a collar).

Just rub it in fully concentrated onto the stain on the dry shirt and drop into the wash.

I'd always get these spots on my boyfriend's shirt when dancing. Now I can get rid of them!

Taylor says:

Thanks for the tip!

Dish soap has lots of uses for cleaning and stain removal. Check out more dish soap uses here.

Lipstick Removal Stain Tip For Clothes - Use Denatured Alcohol

Below is a video which gives lipstick stain removal tips for washable clothing.

Her main suggestion is to use denatured alcohol on the stain. (Hint -- that suggestion has come up in almost all the videos above, meaning it typically works pretty well!)

Denatured Alcohol {Referral Links}

She then suggests to follow this with a dab of dishwashing liquid rubbed into the stain, followed by a stain stick.

Next, she suggests washing the garment in cold water.

This can be a good idea if you don't believe you have thoroughly removed the lipstick stain yet, because heat can set the stain making it even tougher to remove. On the other hand, though, lipstick has a lot of grease in it, and such stains typically are easier to remove with very hot water (assuming the garment can handle it), because the heat helps dissolve and loosen up the grease and oils within the lipstick.

In addition, as always, make sure the stain is completely out before you put it in the dryer.

She suggests, to be really conservative, to not place the item in the dryer, but instead to let it air dry just to confirm after it has dried that the lipstick stain has been completely removed.



Learn more about additional uses for denatured alcohol, also known as methylated spirits, here.



As you can see, there are lots of ways to remove these stains.

I hope these videos have given you some good ideas for how to remove lipstick stains from your clothes.

However, there are always even more methods out there which work, and also specific products you can use designed as lipstick stain removers.

You can submit your own tip for removing this type of spot here, or also read other tips already submitted.



In addition, check out this round up of tips for removing all types of clothing stains here.





Photo by Andreia

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Stain Removal Tips & Tricks For Busy Moms

{A to Z} Stain Removal Guide

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