How to Get Lipstick Out of Clothes Without Making the Stain Worse

One quick hug, a makeup touch-up, or a lipstick mark on your collar can leave behind a surprisingly stubborn stain. Don’t throw the garment in the washer just yet. Lipstick combines pigments with oily and waxy ingredients, so simply washing it can leave a faint pink or red shadow behind.

The trick is to remove the excess first, break down the oily residue, and treat the stain before it ever reaches the dryer. For most washable fabrics, liquid laundry detergent is a good first choice, while rubbing alcohol can help with stubborn pigment.

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Before You Treat the Stain

Check the garment’s care label first.

If the item is labeled dry clean only, made from silk, wool, velvet, or another delicate material, don’t experiment with household stain removers. A professional cleaner is the safer choice.

For washable clothing, test your chosen treatment on an inconspicuous area first, especially if the garment is brightly colored.

Step 1: Remove Any Excess Lipstick

If there’s still a visible layer of lipstick sitting on the fabric, don’t rub it.

Instead, use the edge of a spoon or a dull knife to gently lift the excess from the surface. The goal is to remove as much lipstick as possible without spreading it into the surrounding fibers.

Step 2: Start With Liquid Laundry Detergent

For most washable garments, this should be your first treatment.

The American Cleaning Institute recommends pretreating lipstick stains with a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent, or a paste made from powdered detergent and water before laundering.

Here’s what to do:

1. Apply a small amount of liquid laundry detergent directly to the stain.
2. Gently work it into the fabric with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush.
3. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.
4. Rinse according to the garment’s care instructions.
5. Wash normally.

Don’t aggressively scrub. You want to loosen the lipstick, not push it deeper into the fabric.

What About Dish Soap?

Dish soap can be useful when you’re dealing with an especially oily makeup stain because it’s designed to cut through grease.

However, liquid laundry detergent is the more straightforward first choice for lipstick on washable clothing. If you use dish soap, use only a small amount and rinse the garment thoroughly before washing.

This is particularly useful when the lipstick contains a heavy balm or oily gloss.

Step 3: Try Rubbing Alcohol on Stubborn Pigment

If you’ve treated the stain with detergent but a strong red or pink pigment remains, rubbing alcohol may help.

The American Cleaning Institute specifically recommends 70% or 90% rubbing alcohol for removing lipstick from washable napkins. The technique is to place absorbent paper towels underneath the stained fabric and dab the stain so the pigment transfers into the towel rather than spreading through the garment.

Use it carefully:

1. Place several layers of white paper towel underneath the stain.
2. Dampen a clean white cloth or cotton pad with rubbing alcohol.
3. Dab the lipstick from the outside toward the center.
4. Replace the paper towel underneath as it picks up the pigment.
5. Continue until little or no color transfers.
6. Rinse thoroughly.
7. Wash according to the care label.

Always test the alcohol first. Solvents can affect some dyes and finishes.

Don’t Reach for Nail Polish Remover First

Acetone and nail-polish removers can be useful for certain stains, but they’re not a good default treatment for lipstick.

The risk isn’t worth it when safer options such as laundry detergent and, when appropriate, rubbing alcohol are available. Solvents can damage or discolor some fabrics, so avoid experimenting on delicate or unknown materials.

If you’re dealing with an expensive garment, follow the care label or take it to a professional cleaner instead.

Skip the Baking Soda Paste

Baking soda is a popular DIY stain-removal ingredient, but it’s not necessary here.

Because lipstick stains contain oily and pigmented components, a detergent-based pretreatment is a more targeted option. The American Cleaning Institute’s lipstick guidance prioritizes detergent-based pretreatment or rubbing alcohol rather than baking soda.

In other words, don’t make the process more complicated than it needs to be.

Wash the Garment Normally

Once you’ve treated the stain, wash the garment according to its care label.

Use the appropriate cycle and water temperature for the fabric. Don’t automatically choose the hottest setting just because the stain is stubborn.

After washing, inspect the garment before putting it in the dryer. If you can still see lipstick, treat it again.

Heat from the dryer can make a remaining stain significantly harder to remove.

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If the Lipstick Stain Has Already Dried

Don’t assume a dried lipstick stain means the garment is ruined.

Start by gently lifting away any hardened lipstick from the surface. Then apply liquid laundry detergent and allow it time to work into the stain.

If pigment remains after pretreatment, you can move on to the rubbing-alcohol method after testing the fabric for colorfastness.

Older stains may need more than one treatment, so resist the temptation to use stronger chemicals or scrub harder.

What Not to Do

A few mistakes can turn a manageable lipstick mark into a much bigger problem.

Don’t rub the stain aggressively. This can spread the pigment.

Don’t put the garment straight into the dryer. Check the stain first.

Don’t use a solvent without testing it. Some fabrics and dyes don’t tolerate alcohol or other solvents.

Don’t mix cleaning products. Stick with one treatment at a time and rinse between different products.

Don’t ignore the care label. A delicate garment needs a different approach from a washable cotton T-shirt.

The Quickest Method to Remember

If you want to keep it simple, remember this order:

Lift → Treat → Blot → Wash → Check → Repeat

1. Lift excess lipstick with a spoon or dull knife.
2. Treat with liquid laundry detergent.
3. Blot gently if pigment remains.
4. Wash according to the care label.
5. Check before drying.
6. Repeat if you can still see the stain.

For particularly stubborn pigment on a washable, colorfast fabric, rubbing alcohol can be used carefully as a second-line treatment.

Final Thoughts

A lipstick stain looks dramatic because the pigment is so noticeable, but you usually don’t need a cabinet full of specialty products to deal with it.

Start with the simplest approach: remove the excess, pretreat with liquid laundry detergent, wash according to the care label, and inspect the garment before it goes anywhere near the dryer. If a stubborn pigment remains, rubbing alcohol can be an effective next step when the fabric can safely tolerate it.

The biggest mistake is usually not the lipstick itself—it’s setting the stain with heat before you’ve finished treating it.