Uh oh, lipstick stain...
September 26, 2010 4:14 PM   Subscribe

How do I remove a lipstick stain?

Girlfriend got lipstick all over a pretty expensive shirt last night. What is the best course of action to remove the stain? Shirt is 100% cotton and should be machine washed, according to the tag. My first thought was to obviously take it to the dry cleaners but would that ruin the shirt? What should I do?
posted by Funky Claude to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Borrow make-up remover (should be non-oily) from the girlfriend.

100% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol.

Tide.
posted by xm at 4:24 PM on September 26, 2010


Best answer: Your dry cleaner will know what to do.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:32 PM on September 26, 2010


Best answer: Take it to a dry cleaner.
posted by halogen at 4:33 PM on September 26, 2010


Ok I just tried this.

Cetaphil works. You can dab it on with cotton or directlly and then rub it off and finally rinse with water. Unless you were writing on the shirt with the lipstick, this should work.
posted by xm at 4:35 PM on September 26, 2010


I left a lipstick in my pocket last weekend while doing the wash (doh!). Saved a shirt I wear to work and some cotton pants by using dishwashing liquid on the stains.
posted by rewil at 4:44 PM on September 26, 2010


plain old shampoo works amazingly on makeup stains, and other set-in oily stains, too. work it in with a fingernail (not a brush, you'll trash the fabric)
posted by ChefJoAnna at 4:54 PM on September 26, 2010


Goo Gone.
posted by munyeca at 7:25 PM on September 26, 2010


Shout wipes. Not the gel, not Tide to Go, but Shout Wipes. I have almost-ruined so many items of clothing with makeup/wine/coffee/coca-cola etc. and these saved them.
posted by pearl228 at 8:16 PM on September 26, 2010


If Zout is available in your area, buy a bottle. It works better than the other "bests" for lipstick, grease, red wine, blood -- and ball-point pen ink, if you scrub. (All our cloth napkins are white, so lipstick is a frequent culprit.) You can buy it at some major grocery stores, and I recently stocked up using Amazon. Works okay in cold water, but better in warm or hot. Rub it into the stain with your fingers or a toothbrush.

I have also used Gonzo, Dawn dish soap, Shout and shout Wipes, and shampoo -- they all work for some stains, but Zout works better, and on more stains. I'm a total laundry nerd, and I don't know what I'd do without it.
posted by wryly at 11:06 AM on September 27, 2010


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