Ouch.
It’s one thing when you get a little lip gloss on your shirt, or some red lipstick on a scarf because they can be easily laundered. When this notorious stain-causer gets on non-washable surfaces like upholstery, it’s a whole different story. The bright color and thick texture will immediately bond with the material to create an unsightly stain that’s difficult to remove. Proper technique is key to a quick and easy cleaning process, but so is speed. Lipstick is designed to last all day on your lips, so the longer you let it sit, the tougher it will be to take off. If you get to work right away, and use the simple steps below, it will be easy to completely eliminate the stain from almost any surface.
In the example below, hot pink lipstick was accidentally applied to the upholstered cushion of a new couch by a curious two-year-old. Once Mommy and Daddy were notified, quick action led to outstanding results. The method used would also work for a set in stain, it would just take longer, and require more applications. Prior to the actual stain removal process, all of the loose stuff was gently blotted from the material so that only the set in lipstick remained. Take a look at the picture above. The bright pink lipstick stain looked pretty bad against the light beige fabric it was currently ruining.
Today’s cosmetics are manufactured using advanced mixtures of chemicals, oils, waxes, dyes and other stuff. Modern formulas lead to makeup products that work well, but those effective products can also create difficult stains when they end up where they don’t belong. The bright colors look great on your lips, but when rubbed off on clothing or furniture, it can be a real problem.
Although most types of lipstick contain a long list of ingredients, the bulk of the mixture will fall into three categories: oil, wax and pigment. Each of these substances may require a slightly different cleanser or technique to lift from the surface, so depending on what you choose, you may need to employ a combination of techniques in order to eliminate all signs of the mess.
Professional products and home remedies both have their place when it comes to makeup stain removal. Both styles are widely used, and people have success with a variety of techniques. Store bought solutions can be great in certain situations, but in some cases, stuff you have at home can be can be just as effective as expensive cleaners purchased at a store.
The following list contains a combination of commercial cleaning options and home remedies for removing a lipstick stain on a couch or another fabric surface. Because these are the top recommendations, you should be able to eliminate the mess if you follow the instructions closely, and use enough effort and care. If you prefer a method that is guaranteed to work, and also guaranteed to be completely safe at the same time, continue reading past these top five options to see our easy cleaning method for this job.
You can clean a lipstick stain on upholstered surfaces by making it disappear with dry-cleaning solvent. You’ll want to be careful with this method because it could harm the material, so make sure to do a small test before tackling the whole stain. This method attempts to dissolve the stain so that it can be lifted off the material. You run the risk of spreading the stain, and the solvent itself is kinda dangerous, but if you are careful enough, the results can be very good.
One of the most effective home remedies for a lipstick stain is regular dish soap. When you use it in the right way, it can help to break down the oily pigment of the lipstick in order to remove it from the fabric of your couch. When compared to other options, this one is very safe, and moderately effective. It may not work on really bad stains, or large areas of unwanted color, but it has proven to be an effective method for this job.
Dishes are oily, and commonly have thick build up. This type of soap is good for cleaning oily substances, so it will help you lift the stain without scrubbing to ruin the material, or rubbing to spread the color around. Just make sure the dish soap you have is made for cleaning greasy stuff and you should be good.
Another popular home remedy for cleaning lipstick stains is hairspray. It can be sticky and messy when you don’t use it properly, but when applied to the stained area correctly, it can definitely help to dissolve the pigment causing the stain. Your results will vary based on the ingredients in your hair product, so this technique may not work in all instances. Also, some ingredients may not be safe for all couch surfaces, so you’ll want to test a small area before moving on to the full job.
The alcohol in the spray is what is going to help you out, and it can work, but the results are not guaranteed. Hairspray may be more effective on certain surfaces than others, and even if it doesn’t work, it should be rinsed thoroughly because it can cause a stain all by itself.
If you have a fancy brand tube with whitening power, it may not be safe for this job, but if you have some old school, paste-style toothpaste, it may be the perfect home remedy for lifting the lipstick stain on your couch.
This stuff is designed to clean teeth, but it can also act as a gentle abrasive for cleaning upholstery stains. Make sure you have actual paste, and not gel, and be aware that products with whiteners may discolor fabrics. This method is best used for smaller stains, and you should test it in a small area first, just to make sure that the paste doesn’t react with the couch material.
Rubbing alcohol is a popular home remedy for a wide range of stains, and it works effectively on all sorts of surfaces. It can cause damage in some cases, but if use carefully and correctly, it can be the perfect option to clean any stain on your couch or upholstery. Most people will already have some at home, so it’s a great option if you want to get started right away, and have no other suitable cleaning supplies on hand.
Rubbing alcohol acts as a solvent to dissolve the lipstick. Applying it will allow you to lift the color, but it works fast, so you have to be careful. Also, for really tough spots, it won’t be able to remove everything. When doing the cleaning, be sure to blot instead of rub because you’ll end up spreading the color.
You can find all sorts of stain fighter products at the store, and some may even list this job as a specific feature. None of the products on the shelf at your local store will work in 100% of situations, and none of them will be cheap. Off-the-shelf stain removers are known to be expensive, and many people have trouble getting them to work as advertised.
If you do decide to buy something to handle this mess, be sure that it will be effective with lipstick specifically, and be sure that it is safe to use on the material that your couch is made from. When attempting to clean the stain, make sure to test a small, non-visible location first to make sure there is no reaction or damage from the cleaner. When performing the cleaning, you’ll want to follow the manufacturer instructions carefully, but the basic steps below will be similar, and a good basic framework.
If you’ve tried all of the traditional recommendations and still have a mess, or if you just want to try one way and finish the job on the first try, you may want to think about buying something new. Quick N Brite is a safe and natural cleaner that works perfect for this job and hundreds of other jobs too. Unlike other stain fighters at the store, this one is good for almost every type of stain on almost any kind of surface. You can get it for this job, but then know that you’ll use it over and over again, for other jobs too.
With Quick N Brite, you will never have to worry about damage to your couch, and you’ll be guaranteed to lift up and remove the lipstick stain from the surface without spreading it around or causing any harm. It will work on small spots of color, or large ones, and you can use it for fresh stains, or ones that have been set in for days, or set in by cleaning attempts made with other products. The natural ingredients will only remove one layer at a time, so you may need to apply it more than once to completely remove the stain.
With our fool-proof cleaning method, you will need to have some Quick N Brite Cleaner on hand, but the results will be guaranteed, and the process will be quick and painless. As an added bonus, you’ll have the piece of mind that comes from using a safe cleaner that is free of toxic chemicals, and one that is highly effective, without any risk of damage.
After removing any loose material, we took a washcloth dampened with warm water to apply some paste directly to the lipstick stain. Just wet the cloth under a sink faucet, then wring it out until it’s no longer dripping. After that, scoop out a generous amount of cleaner using the cloth.
Apply the cleaner to the stain by rubbing back and forth, and up and down. Be careful not to spread the stain as it will begin to loosen immediately. For larger messes, work from the outside in to prevent unnecessary damage. Once the paste has been worked into the stain, allow it to sit for about ten minutes. This step is important as it allows the cleaner time to break down the colorful substance, and release it’s bond with the fabric.
Once the cleaner had time to sit, we took a different cloth, that was dry, to buff the stain out. Using the same up and down, back and forth motion, the applied cleaner, and most of the pigment, was removed. With this step, make sure to use short, blotting strokes to wipe and lift the stain without spreading it.
Take a look at the photo above. Most of the pink lipstick came off the couch surface with a single, quick application, but a small amount was still visible. Because the cleaner breaks down the stain naturally, there is no risk to the couch, and there is no harsh smell, but it still allows you to lift the grime easily. When you rub with the dry towel, the pink color will transfer from the couch cushion onto the towel.
Because there was still pink showing on the cushion, we took some more paste with our damp cloth, and applied it to the couch surface. The same technique was used, just with a smaller amount of cleaner this time.
Once the cleaner was applied to the stained area, we let it sit again, for about the same amount of time. Because this mess is particularly tough, it may take more than one application, but with no scrubbing or specialized techniques involved, it’s easily accomplished. And because there’s no bleach or other harsh ingredients involved, there is no risk to the couch, chair, carpet or piece of clothing you’re cleaning.
After allowing the cleaner to sit for a moment, we used the dry cloth again to buff out even more pigment. As you can see, a slight pink color still remained, even after a second application. In an attempt to be careful not to mar the material, or soak the fabric, we may have removed the second application too soon. In retrospect, and knowing the severity of the bond with the couch cushion, we probably should have let it sit for fifteen or twenty minutes to begin with.
The longer the cleaner sits, the more time it has to break down tough build up, so the easier it will be to remove.
On a surface like this, you don’t really want to rub hard because it will cause the fabric to pill, so we kept it gentle, and went with another quick application. Because this is a paste cleaner, the bulk of the moisture is in the cloth, so even with repeated applications, the cushion is not getting drenched.
With only a small dot of color left, we put on a tiny amount of cleaner to cover it. This time it was swiped on with a finger instead of using the washcloth. Just smear to cover the small spot remaining, and then let it sit again.
After rubbing with the dry cloth again to remove the paste, most would consider the surface clean. Those of us with outstanding eyesight will notice the slightest little pink spot still remaining. Although no one would notice it if left in place, we used one last tiny application to make it go bye bye.
In the picture above, the material is still damp from cleaning, and the tiny little pink spot is still there. In the picture below, it shows the cushion after the final cleaning round, and after it had time to dry.
The stain is now completely gone, and the couch has had time to dry. The fabric is not discolored, nor is it roughed up or ruined in any way. The unsightly pink spot caused by the lipstick is no longer visible on the couch surface, and it was pretty easy to accomplish. Take a look at the side-by-side shot below to show the before and after. On the left you can see the fresh lipstick stain, and on the right, you can see the same area after cleaning. Crisis averted, disaster avoided, and new sofa saved!
Acting fast will always make this job easier, but set in stains will come out with the same technique. Just work little by little to continue removing pigment until the area is clean. New stains will usually lift off with a single application, and stains that are set-in may take several applications to remove completely.
Quick N Brite is an ideal cleaner for this task because it lifts up oily stuff, breaks down waxy stuff, and un-bonds pigment from fabrics in one easy step. All of the stuff in lipstick makes it hold fast to certain materials like fabric and upholstery, but that same stuff is easily cleaned with this powerful product.
The results in the picture speak for themselves. The bright pink lipstick stain has been completely removed from the upholstered couch surface. Thanks to the all natural cleaner we used, there was never any risk of damage, and it was guaranteed to work for this job. Because of the tough ingredients involved, it did require multiple applications to finish the job properly, but the results were pretty easy to come by.
You may not have this specific cleaner on hand at your house yet, and you may not have time to get some before you get into trouble. If that’s the case for you, you’ll want to go with one of the options previously listed so that you can get to work right away. The results may not be as good, or as easy to achieve, but based on the fact that they’re all widely recommended, you should be able to make some improvement, if done correctly.
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View Comments
These are great tips to try on the stain on your own, thanks for sharing. If the stain still seems stubborn after trying these, there are professional upholstery cleaning services that may be able to assist.