Unless you have impeccably steady hands and “klutz” is a word you have never heard of before, most of us would have experienced getting our shirts or clothes stained with makeup before. You may even have unknowingly left stains on pieces you were casually trying on in fashion stores.
An obvious solution to this problem is simply to stay away from makeup, but we’ll stop at this idea while we’re ahead. You probably wouldn’t be reading this article if that was even a possibility. So, how do you get the best of both worlds, keeping your shirts clean but your face lit?
We’ve got you covered! We have found these household solutions to counteract common makeup stains, so you have something to fall back on if you don’t want to immediately head to a professional, and potentially expensive, laundry service. Most of these solutions we’re offering utilise common household items, so you can purchase most of these at your neighbourhood drugstore or supermarket.
These tips would, of course, work better with fresh stains – they’re easier to remove. However, when you first stain anything, make sure not to panic and identify if the makeup staining it is oil-based or not. Simply rushing in with water when it is an oil-based stain might set the stain on your clothes even faster.
1. Hairspray
For: Lipsticks
Grab any hairspray you can find and spray it onto the stain – it doesn’t even matter if it’s a fresh stain or not. Let the product settle for about 5 minutes before taking a wet tissue to wipe away the product. The hairspray will dissolve the chemicals of the lipstick, and get rid of the bulk of it.
After that, run the fabric under cold water before ending it off with a rinse of warm water. This removes any remaining product and pigment on the fabric!
2. Makeup remover wipes
For: Powder pigments
By powder pigment, we’re talking about your eyeshadows, your blushers, and your bronzing powders. Using makeup wipes to remove these powder-based makeup stains is a trick that has long been used backstage at major fashion shows. It’s so simple and requires very little of your time.
First, remove any excess powder pigments from the fabric by gently sweeping it away. After that, take a piece of makeup wipe and gently dab it onto the stained area. If the stain persists, take a cotton ball and use a makeup remover solution and repeat the same steps. To end it off, run the fabric under cold water to completely remove remaining pigments.
3. Liquid detergent or soap
For: Foundation, concealer, other oil-based makeup
This tip is a no-brainer: liquid detergent and soap are probably the first few items that would pop to mind when figuring out how to remove a stain. Of course, liquid detergent is great at removing oil-based makeup!
What you need to do is place the liquid detergent onto the stained fabric (both sides) and let it soak for about 10-15 minutes. Once you’re done, run the fabric under cold water before rinsing with warm water. While rinsing, make sure to blot and dab the area so as to remove the stain effectively!
4. Shaving cream
For: Oil-based makeup
Shaving cream is another product known to remove the toughest of stains! First, apply shaving cream onto stained area. Let the product soak for about 10 minutes before applying dabbing motions to the area. You might want to use a bit of strength to see effective results.
5. Makeup remover liquid
For: Eyeliner
Makeup removal liquid, especially oil-based ones, help to dissolve the liquid in the eyeliner, releasing the pigment which is more easily washed away by water.
First, soak your stained clothes in normal tap water. Put a few drops of your makeup remover liquid on a sponge, and start using it on the spot that is stained. You should be making sweeping motions, rather than actually rubbing the sponge on the fabric. Wait for a few minutes after this.
Then, pour some laundry detergent into a shallow bowl. Immerse the stained spot of the fabric into the laundry detergent and leave it for about 30 minutes. Use an old toothbrush to gently work the laundry detergent in to the eyeliner, and the remnants of the pigment should disappear in no time. Continue with your laundry as per usual.
If none of the above tips seem to work for you, then it’s likely that you have a monster of a stain on your hands, which may only respond to industrial-strength chemicals. In this case, we highly recommend that you turn to professional laundry services for help to get your shirt back to its pristine, original colour.
Featured image from here.
