How to Remove A Lipstick Stain from Carpet

The lipstick section of the make-up aisle is home to a kaleidoscope of colours and varieties to help you find the perfect shade.

But what do you do if you drop lipstick on your carpet or if the kids create a masterpiece with your favourite red?

The good news is that no matter what type of lipstick, they’re all made up of a few basic ingredients, such as oil, wax and colour pigment. It’s the oils that cause the stain – target the oils and the stain should be easy enough to remove.

What you'll need

• paper towel or clean white/colourfast cloths

• butter knife

• aerogard

• nail polish remover

• white vinegar

• water

How to remove lipstick stains from carpet

Act quickly. Like most stains, the sooner you act after the spill, the better your chances are of removing it.

1. Remove the excess

Scrape off excess chunks with a butter knife. Scrape gently so you don’t further spread the stain.

2. Choose your weapon

You’ve got a few options when it comes to the weapon … sorry, cleaning products you chose to treat the lipstick stain, all of which can usually be found around the home.

• Aerogard - Oily stains require a solvent to dissolve the stain and we find that solvent or carrier used for Aerogard (isopropyl alcohol) in a can is a great option. Just don’t shake it before use as this will mix the active insect repelling ingredients with the isopropyl alcohol! Avoid circular motions while rubbing, which could damage the carpet fibres.

• Nail polish remover - Make sure that the nail polish remover is pure acetone and that the area you’re working in is well ventilated.

• White vinegar - Vinegar is used a lot around the home because it can be effective at dissolving grease.

3. Treat the stain

Apply your weapon (cleaning product) of choice to a clean white cloth or paper towel. Press repeatedly over the stain, using a different area of the cloth if it becomes heavily stained. Avoid rubbing, which may work the lipstick further into the carpet fibres or spread the stain.

4. If at first you dont succeed, try, try again!

Continue this process if the colour is continuing to transfer onto the cloth. Having no luck? Try switching up your cleaning product and see how you go.

5. Rinse and dry

Rinse and dry the area. Rinse the carpet with cold water and blot dry with another clean cloth or paper towel, then blot it dry with a clean cloth to remove solvent residue.

Leave the area to dry!

The above process should remove or fade the stain for you. Remember these processes take time. Be patient and keep going as long as you’re seeing results. Still not happy with the results? Electro 3 Spot and Stain Cleaner is a great product to have tucked away in the cupboard for times like these. You could also give Electrodry a call for some expert advice and help removing the stain.