If you wear makeup, it’s probably not only on your face. Inevitably, stains, smudges, and smears will wind up on your clothes and elsewhere — from the neckline of your (white) shirt to your toiletry bag. And while removing makeup from your skin is fairly simple these days, getting the same oils and pigments out of your fabrics can prove an outright pain.
Luckily, we have a few eco-friendly, easy-to-follow tips for tackling these splotches, blotches, and spots. Read on for how to remove foundation, lipstick, mascara, powders, and cream blushes from your clothes and other at-risk fabrics.
Foundation stains
Foundation stains can be especially stubborn, as you probably know from looking at your makeup bag — not to mention the necklines of your favorite shirts. Fortunately, there are simple, eco-friendly solutions to removing foundation from clothing. Start by gently scraping off any excess foundation. You can use a spoon or butter knife for this. Then, pre-treat the stained area with a mixture of two parts dish soap and one part hydrogen peroxide. Let the stain sit for about 30 minutes and then launder in cold or cool water. Remember to check the stain before placing the item in the dryer. Air dry if you’re not certain it’s entirely gone, so as not to set the stain.
If you have face cloths you use when removing foundation and makeup, laundering them with SaltyLama eco-friendly laundry detergent sheets will provide a gentle, effective clean for both the fabric and your skin. Plus, they come in lightweight biodegradable zero-waste packaging. To save money and ensure you never run out of detergent, simply subscribe. Just schedule when you want your order. You can cancel, pause, or skip an order on your subscription whenever you want.
Lipstick stains
Lipstick is believed to be one of the toughest stains to remove, but some patience and soap can do the trick. Much like crayons and candle wax, lipstick is composed of oils and pigments. These ingredients can make them more tedious to get out but read on for our best removal tips.
To tackle lipstick stains, begin by blotting the stained area with a clean cloth or paper towel to remove excess lipstick. Next, apply a small amount of dish soap or detergent to the stain and gently rub it in. You can place a small piece of a SaltyLama laundry detergent sheet over the stain and add a few drops of water or hydrogen peroxide. Allow the detergent to penetrate the fabric for at least 10 minutes before rinsing with cold water. Repeat these steps as necessary. However, any grease-fighting soap should do the trick, even if it takes a couple of rinses. Launder the fabric as usual and check that the stain has fully disappeared before placing it in the dryer.
Mascara stains
If you need to know how to remove mascara from clothing, you’ll once again need a grease-fighting soap to tackle the oil-based ingredients and dark pigments. To remove mascara stains, start by blotting the area to remove any excess product. Next, apply a small amount of grease-fighting soap or laundry detergent and gently rub it in to help penetrate the stain. After at least 10 minutes, rinse the stain in cold water. Go ahead and launder as normal and check the stain before drying in the machine.
Makeup powder stains
Powder stains — such as those from loose or pressed powders — are usually easier to remove than their liquid counterparts. However, they may still need a little care to fully remove the stain. So, if you need to remove makeup powder from clothing, first begin by gently shaking off any excess powder from the material. Then, you can pretreat the stain with a bit of laundry detergent. If you are using detergent sheets, rip off a small piece and dissolve it in a small amount of water. Pour this over the stain. Allow the detergent to soak into the fabric before rinsing with cold water. The stain should be fully removed after this quick tip.
Cream blush stains
Pigmented cream blush will invigorate your cheeks, but they’re far from friendly on fabrics. Fortunately, as these often contain oils, you can remove them with a grease-fighting soap. You can follow the same steps used when learning how to remove foundation from clothing. First, scrape off any excess foundation. Then, pre-treat the stained area with a mixture of two parts dish soap and one part hydrogen peroxide. Let the stain sit for a half hour and then launder in cold or cool water.
By following these tips and incorporating our laundry detergent sheets for a gentle solution, you’ll be perfectly prepared to tackle what makeup stains may end up on your clothes, fabrics, towels and bags.