How to Get Lipstick, Foundation and Makeup Off Towels and Upholstery

Makeup stains on towels, pillowcases, upholstery and clothing are a persistent domestic frustration. Lipstick transfers onto towels and collar areas. Foundation stains pillowcases and upholstery armrests. Mascara appears on pillowcases and face cloths. Eye shadow smears on towels.

The challenge is that different makeup formulations require different removal approaches — a stain removal method that works perfectly on foundation does nothing for lipstick, and vice versa. This guide covers the chemistry and the method for each type.

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The Core Principle: Act Quickly, Don't Rub

As with most stains, time is the critical factor. Fresh makeup stains are dramatically easier to remove than stains that have set through heat (dryer) or oxidation.

Never rub a makeup stain. Rubbing spreads the stain laterally and pushes it deeper into the fabric fibres. Always blot — press straight down and lift. Work from the outer edge of the stain toward the centre.

Never put a stained item in the dryer before the stain is removed. Heat permanently sets most makeup stains. Check that the stain is fully removed before machine drying.

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Lipstick Stains

Lipstick is one of the most stubborn makeup stains because it is waxy, oil-based, and pigmented — a combination that bonds effectively to fabric.

What works:

Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol): Apply a small amount to a clean white cloth. Blot the stain from the outside edge inward. The alcohol dissolves the oil-based carrier in the lipstick, releasing the pigment. Repeat, using a clean part of the cloth each time, until no more colour transfers.

Then treat any remaining pigment stain with a small amount of dish soap applied to the damp area, worked in gently, rinsed, and repeated.

Micellar water: Effective for lighter lipstick stains, particularly on delicate fabrics where rubbing alcohol might be too aggressive. Micellar water is designed to dissolve cosmetics — it works well here.

Pre-wash stain remover: Spray directly onto the stain, leave for 5 minutes, then launder. Most commercial pre-wash sprays are effective on fresh lipstick.

For set lipstick stains: Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to the stain and leave for 30 minutes. The petroleum jelly works into the waxy binder. Then apply dish soap, work in, and launder. This sounds counterintuitive but works on older stains.

Towels: White or light-coloured towels with lipstick can also be treated with diluted hydrogen peroxide after the alcohol treatment to address any remaining pigment staining. Check the towel is colourfast first.

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Foundation Stains

Foundation formulations vary — liquid, powder, mineral, stick — but most share an oil or silicone base that carries the pigment.

Liquid or cream foundation:

1. Gently lift any excess foundation from the fabric surface with a spoon or blunt knife — scrape, don't rub.
2. Apply dish soap directly to the stain (dish soap is a surfactant that cuts through the oil base).
3. Work it in gently with your fingers and leave for 5 minutes.
4. Rinse with cold water.
5. If staining remains, apply rubbing alcohol and blot.
6. Launder as normal.

For skin-tone foundation stains on white fabrics: hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) applied after the dish soap treatment and left for 10 minutes bleaches residual pigment. Test on an inconspicuous area of coloured fabric first.

Powder or mineral foundation:

Powder foundation is easier to remove than liquid because it has less binding agent. Brush off excess carefully (don't rub). Apply a small amount of dish soap, work in, and rinse. Launder.

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Mascara Stains

Mascara is typically a water-resistant or waterproof formulation (which is why it doesn't run in rain), which means it doesn't respond to water-based cleaning.

What works:

Makeup remover or micellar water: The same product designed to remove mascara from your face removes mascara from fabric. Apply to a clean cloth, blot the stain.

Rubbing alcohol: For waterproof mascara, rubbing alcohol is more effective than micellar water. Blot with alcohol on a white cloth.

Oil-based remover: Baby oil or coconut oil applied to the stain loosens the waterproof polymer. Leave for a few minutes, then clean with dish soap to remove the oil.

After treatment, launder normally.

Important: Mascara stains on pillowcases are very common and are often not treated immediately — they go through the wash and partially set. For set mascara: soak in a pre-wash enzyme solution (Vanish or similar) for 30 minutes before washing. Most set mascara responds to this.

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Eye Shadow Stains

Eye shadow is a powder-based cosmetic and is among the easier makeup stains to remove.

1. Shake or brush off excess powder (without pressing it into the fabric).
2. Apply dish soap or a pre-wash spray.
3. Rinse.
4. Launder.

Glitter eye shadow is a separate challenge — the glitter particles are physical objects embedded in fabric rather than a stain per se. A lint roller removes most glitter from fabric surfaces. For deeply embedded glitter, a loop of tape pressed firmly onto the fabric and peeled away captures individual particles.

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Concealer Stains

Concealer is formulated similarly to foundation and responds to the same treatment: excess removed, dish soap applied, worked in, rinsed, and laundered. For waterproof concealer, add a rubbing alcohol step.

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Fake Tan / Self-Tanner Stains

Fake tan is a separate category that requires separate treatment. The active compound (DHA) reacts with skin proteins to produce colour — and does the same to fabric proteins (natural fibres like cotton absorb it readily).

Fresh fake tan on fabric:

1. Rinse immediately with cold water.
2. Apply liquid laundry detergent and soak for 30 minutes.
3. Launder on the warmest cycle appropriate for the fabric.

Set fake tan on fabric: More difficult. Hydrogen peroxide (3%) applied to white or light-coloured fabric and left for 20–30 minutes can lighten the staining significantly. For coloured fabrics, an enzyme-based stain remover is safer. Multiple treatments are often needed.

Prevention is the practical approach here: apply fake tan after washing towels, use an old towel or designated tan-application towel immediately after application, and sleep in old sheets during the tan development period.

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Towels: Managing Long-Term Makeup Accumulation

White or cream bathroom towels used for makeup removal accumulate staining over months that individual wash cycles don't fully address. For an accumulated stain reset:

1. Soak towels in a solution of hot water and oxygen bleach (OxiClean or Vanish powder) for 2–4 hours.
2. Launder on the hottest cycle appropriate for the towel.
3. Air dry in sunlight — UV bleaches residual staining.

Dedicated "dark" towels for makeup removal, or face cloths specifically for removing makeup (replace regularly), are a practical solution to preserving good white towels.

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At PF Cleaning, fabric care and stain treatment is part of our professional cleaning expertise. For professional upholstery cleaning in Adelaide or advice on fabric treatment in Adelaide, contact us.

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Written by Victor Jacon — Master Cleaner & Home Detailing Specialist, Founder of PF Cleaning Adelaide.