For makeup stain on cotton and blends: Dissolve the oil base first โ cleansing oil or dishwashing liquid. Follow the steps below and most of these come out without a trip to the cleaner.
Foundation and lipstick are oil-based, so water alone does nothing. Treat them the way you would on skin: dissolve the oil with cleansing oil or dish soap, then wash the residue out with detergent. On a collar, dab rather than rub โ rubbing pushes the pigment between the fibres.
Method by fabric
Cotton and blends
What you need
- Cleansing oil or dishwashing liquid
- Cotton swab
- Laundry detergent
Steps
- 1Dab cleansing oil onto the stain with a cotton swab.
- 2Leave five minutes to dissolve the base.
- 3Apply dishwashing liquid to wash the oil away.
- 4Rinse lukewarm and machine wash.
- 5Repeat before drying if anything remains.
Never do this
- Rubbing โ it forces pigment into the weave
- Starting with water โ the oil sets and gets harder to shift
- Tumble drying before it is gone