How to Remove Lipstick and Perfume Stains

Perfume stains and lipstick stains are known to be very common stains. When spraying perfume, it’s very easy to spray it on your clothing and have a stain set. Or if your kids are extra playful, they could easily get into your makeup bag and start drawing lipstick on your clothes or furniture. Talk about a stain nightmare! Luckily, Purex® has got tips and tricks on how to remove pesky lipstick and perfume stains from your clothes and fabrics.

Lay the clothing flat and using a dull butter knife, carefully scrape off any lipstick that may be sitting on the surface. Then apply your favorite stain remover to the lipstick stain and allow it to sit for five minutes. Do not rub the pretreater into the lipstick stain as this might cause the stain to be worked further into the fabric and become harder to remove.

Then launder the clothing item, with either Purex® liquid detergent or laundry Pacs, in the hottest water that the fabric can withstand. Make sure to check the care tag and follow the instructions to not ruin the garment. After washing, check the stained area again.

If the stain persists, you can try a solvent such as rubbing alcohol to blot the lipstick stain. However, first do a check with rubbing alcohol on the inside hem to make sure it doesn’t damage the fabric. Then place the lipstick-stained area face down on a paper towel. Carefully dab the back of the stain with another paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol. Check the paper towel for any transfer of the stain and replace as needed. This process should help remove any residual lipstick stain.

Once you have removed as much as possible, apply Purex® liquid detergent to the front of the stain and let sit for five minutes. Then launder as usual. Repeat until the stain is removed to your liking. Always check the stained area before placing it in the dryer as the heat from the dryer will set the stain.

In most cases, rinsing the perfume stain should be enough to remove it, especially if the stain is fresh. If you can, immediately prepare a cloth with cold water, then gently dab at the stain to lift as much the perfume off as possible (Helpful Tip: hot water can cause the stain to set). With an older, dried stain, make a mixture of vinegar and water and gently sponge the stain so the entire area is covered.

When laundering, we suggest using Purex Detergent with Crystals Fragrance. If you still see the stain after washing, apply a little more detergent to the stained area, and let sit for five minutes. Then, launder as before. As always, make sure the stain is removed before you place the item in the dryer; otherwise, the stain may set.

For more tips on how to remove perfume stains and a more in-depth guide, read how to remove perfume stains. For other cosmetic related stains, how to remove nail polish stains and how to remove deodorant stains.

Purex® offers an array of great products, all at an affordable price. Discover Purex® liquid laundry detergents, Pacs and Purex® Crystals. Purex® products will keep your clothes smelling fresh in a variety of scents while keeping them looking brand new.

We understand that life gets messy and want to make laundry as easy as possible for you. With quality & value continuing to be at the core of our product development, we continue to create highly effective laundry detergent & supplies. We tested some of the toughest stains to keep your clothing looking brand new. View our Stain Lab for our best recommendations to get life's toughest stains out of your clothing.