A lipstick, lip gloss, or lip liner stain comes out of clothing when you follow the right order: first remove the excess without spreading the product, then treat the stain with a degreaser suited to the fabric, working from the reverse side of the garment, and only then wash and dry it properly. The biggest risk isn’t the stain itself, but two very common mistakes: rubbing the area while the product is still fresh, which pushes it further into the fibers, and putting the garment in the dryer before confirming that the stain is gone, because heat tends to set it almost permanently.
- Scrape off excess lipstick or lip gloss with a blunt knife or spoon before touching it with any cleaning product.
- Work the degreaser into the fabric from the reverse side, over an absorbent towel, instead of rubbing the stain from the front of the garment.
- Choose the method according to the fabric: cotton and everyday synthetics can withstand stronger treatments than silk or other delicate fabrics.
- Always make sure the stain has disappeared completely before putting the garment in the dryer.
Why this stain is so hard to remove
Lipstick, lip gloss, and lip liner are made mainly of waxes, oils, and pigment (source: How to Remove Lipstick from Clothes — wikiHow). That’s why this type of stain doesn’t behave like a food or grass stain, which comes out with water and regular soap: it needs an enzyme-based product or a solvent that breaks down the greasy part before the stain releases from the fiber (source: Stain Removal — K-State Research and Extension). Time is also working against you: the longer the stain goes untreated, and especially if the garment has been through the dryer in the meantime, the more the pigment and wax set into the fibers, making the rest of the process more difficult.
The first few minutes after you notice the stain
As soon as you see the mark, use the edge of a blunt knife or the corner of a spoon to lift off excess lipstick or lip gloss without rubbing the garment: rubbing pushes the pigment further into the fibers instead of removing it (source: How to Remove Makeup Stains — Tide). Then lay the garment stain-side down on an absorbent towel and apply the cleaning product from the reverse side of the fabric, not directly onto the stain. This pushes the product out of the fiber and into the towel, instead of spreading it further across the front of the garment (source: How to Remove Lipstick from Clothes — wikiHow).
How to treat the stain, fabric by fabric
What works well on a durable fabric can damage a delicate one, so it’s worth separating the two cases before choosing a product. For either one, first test the solvent you plan to use—denatured alcohol, a commercial stain remover, or ammonia—on a hidden area of the garment, such as the hem or an inside seam, and wait about 20 minutes to make sure the fabric and color can withstand it before using it where it will show (source: How to Remove Lipstick from Clothes — wikiHow). If you decide to try ammonia, never mix it with chlorine bleach in the same treatment: the combination releases a toxic gas. And if the garment is dry-clean only, taking it to a professional is safer than persisting at home.
Cotton, linen, and everyday synthetics
On these fabrics, after testing on a hidden area, dampen the stain with denatured alcohol and work in a little liquid detergent with your fingertips, always from the reverse side. Avoid bar soap: unlike liquid detergent, it tends to set the stain instead of loosening it (source: Stain Removal — K-State Research and Extension). Let the garment air out for a little while, then wash it in the hottest water the fabric can tolerate, according to the care label, using bleach that’s suitable for the color: color-safe bleach on colored fabrics, and diluted chlorine bleach only on whites.
Silk and other delicate fabrics
For silk and other delicate fabrics, skip the bleach and fabric softener: use cold water with a gentle, pH-neutral detergent, and never twist or wring the wet fabric. Leave it to air-dry, away from direct heat and sunlight, because heat can both set the stain and damage the fibers (source: How to Remove Lipstick Stains from Silk Sheets — PandaSilk). If the garment is valuable or the stain is large, a dry cleaner that specializes in delicate fabrics usually offers more assurance than repeating attempts at home.
| Fabric | What to try first | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton, linen, durable synthetics | Denatured alcohol and liquid detergent, applied from the reverse side | Bar soap; drying the garment before confirming the stain is gone |
| Silk and delicate fabrics | Cold water with a gentle, pH-neutral detergent | Bleach, fabric softener, twisting the fabric, direct heat, or the dryer |
Before putting the garment in the washer
Before washing, check two labels: the garment’s label for the permitted water temperature, and the label on the cleaning product you used, because both affect the final result (source: Stain Removal — K-State Research and Extension). Bleach also depends on the garment’s color: use color-safe bleach on colored fabric, and diluted chlorine bleach only on whites. The step that matters most to the result, however, happens before the wash: never put the garment in the dryer while you can still see the stain, even if it’s only a faint shadow, because heat tends to set it almost permanently, and from that point on, no home method will remove it (source: How to Remove Makeup Stains — Tide).
How to make stains less likely
Once you’ve dealt with the current stain, it’s worth making a small change to how you apply the product to reduce how much transfers to your collar, glass, or napkin. Lining your lips with a lip liner before applying gloss helps keep the color within the natural line of your lips instead of letting it spread beyond it. Likewise, touching up throughout the day with small amounts of Lip Gloss - 19 leaves less product available to transfer to fabric than reapplying it all at once—a simple change in habit, not a different product, that in itself reduces how often these stains occur.
If you’re still deciding how to use gloss in your daily routine, or just want to understand more about this type of product before choosing a shade, the guide to what lip gloss is and how to apply it covers that in more detail. For more articles about lip care, visit the DIVAZ blog.