How to Remove Lipstick Stains from Clothing and Dryer

Sometimes, questions come in through social media, and today we have a particularly challenging one from Twitter:

@TheMorrisBunch: Help!! I took clothes out of the wash and found red lipstick in the dryer and all over my clothes. First of all, yuck.

Finding lipstick stains in your laundry is certainly an unpleasant surprise, and I can empathize with your frustration. Removing lipstick from clothing and the dryer can feel like a daunting task, but with the right approach, you can tackle this issue effectively.

To start with, you’ll want to focus on cleaning the lipstick residue out of the dryer itself. A good solvent, such as WD-40 or Goo Gone, can be effective for this purpose. If you have a gas dryer, be cautious and apply the solvent to a cloth rather than spraying it directly into the dryer, as this could pose a fire risk. At Home-Ec 101, we always strive to prioritize safety, even if we don’t always succeed!

It’s wise to use a flashlight and thoroughly inspect the dryer drum to ensure you remove every last trace of lipstick. Missing even a small amount could compromise the success of your future laundry loads.

Remove Lipstick from Clothing

Now, let’s focus on the clothing itself. Lipstick stains are tricky because they are designed to adhere to our lips, making them tough to remove once they’ve transferred to fabric. When dealing with these stains, it’s crucial to treat them as both dye and grease stains. The following steps are suitable for washable fabrics, and given that the mishap occurred in the dryer, we’ll assume your items are machine washable—what a nightmare!

• First, address the dye component of the lipstick stain. Apply a laundry pre-treatment spray or a dry cleaning spotter (like those found in home dry cleaning kits) directly onto the stain.
• If you choose a laundry pre-treatment, rinse the area with cool water afterward, ensuring that no dye remains. If you opt for the dry cleaning spotter, gently blot the area and allow it to evaporate completely.
• Should any dye linger, you may need to pull out the big guns: paint thinner. Apply this only to the stained area and be sure to test for colorfastness on an inconspicuous area first. If the fabric is beyond saving, the risk may be worth it!

Only after you’ve successfully eliminated all traces of dye can you move on to the next step.

• Now, it’s time to tackle the grease aspect of the stain. Apply a liquid detergent directly to the reverse side of the fabric where the stain is located.
• Allow the detergent to penetrate the fabric for at least half an hour (unless your detergent contains bleach), and then launder the item in the hottest water that is safe for the fabric.

I understand this process can be quite tedious, especially when dealing with an entire load of laundry. If the lipstick culprit isn’t you, it might be a good idea to enlist their help with the cleanup!

Have more questions? Feel free to send them to helpme@home-ec101.com.