How to get mascara, concealer and other makeup out of clothes

Step by step: how to get mascara, concealer and other makeup out of clothes

1. 1

   Lift the excess

   Gently scrape mascara, concealer or foundation off the surface with a spoon or dull knife, lifting rather than smearing. For powder, blush or bronzer, blow or tap it off, then dab with a lint roller. Never rub makeup with a wet cloth first, which spreads the pigment.

2. 2

   Figure out if it is oily or water based

   Mascara, waterproof formulas, cream concealer and most foundations contain oils and waxes. Water-based foundations and tinted moisturizers rinse more easily. When in doubt, treat it as oily, which works for both.

3. 3

   Work in detergent or dish soap

   Put a few drops of heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent or dish soap on the stain. Work it in from the outside edge toward the center with a soft toothbrush or your fingers, so you do not push the ring outward.

4. 4

   Let it sit for 15 minutes

   Leave the detergent on the stain for about 15 minutes so it can break down the waxes and oils in mascara. On colorfast fabric, a laundry stain remover spray can sit longer; follow the label.

5. 5

   Rinse with warm water

   Rinse the area from the back with warm water. You should see the dark color loosening and running out. If a shadow remains, repeat the detergent step once more.

6. 6

   Wash on the warmest safe setting

   Wash the garment in the warmest water the care label allows, with detergent. For whites, add oxygen bleach, or chlorine bleach on bleach-safe cotton.

7. 7

   Check before drying

   Inspect the spot while the fabric is wet. If you still see any tint, especially a greasy outline, repeat the treatment before it goes anywhere near the dryer.

How to treat each type of makeup stain

Mascara, concealer and foundation all need detergent worked in before the wash, while powders need to be lifted dry first.

Tide notes that mascara is made from oils, waxes and dyes, and recommends pretreating with detergent for 15 minutes, scrubbing gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush, rinsing in hot water and washing on the hottest safe setting. For blush and bronzer it suggests lifting the powder with a sticky lint roller first. The University of Georgia Extension separates water-based cosmetics, which come out with bar soap or heavy-duty liquid detergent and a wash, from oil-based ones, which may need a solvent-based spot cleaner before the detergent.

How to get set-in or old makeup stains out

Old makeup stains usually come out with a longer soak in oxygen bleach after a detergent pretreatment, unless they have been through a hot dryer several times.

OxiClean recommends soaking larger or set-in makeup stains in an oxygen stain remover for 1 to 6 hours, ideally the full 6, then washing as usual, and not using its products on wool, silk, leather or dry clean only fabric. Clorox’s foundation method soaks the stained area for up to 60 minutes in 1 quart of water with a capful of an oxygen, color-safe stain remover, then washes in the hottest recommended water, and suggests working a little dish soap from the outside in first to loosen the oils.

For a white shirt with an old collar ring of foundation, see our guide to removing stains from white clothes.

Quick fixes when you cannot wash it right now

If you are dressed and on your way out, lift what you can and treat it lightly; save the real treatment for later.

• For a powder smudge, a dry makeup sponge or a lint roller often lifts it completely.
• For mascara or concealer, dab a baby wipe or a damp cloth with a drop of hand soap on it, working from the outside in, then blot dry.
• A stain remover pen helps on light fabric, but test it on a hidden seam first.
• Treat the stain properly that evening; makeup oils that sit for days are harder to remove.
• Lipstick has its own guide: how to remove lipstick from clothes.

Mistakes to avoid

• Rubbing mascara with a wet napkin, which spreads the black pigment into a gray smear.
• Using hot water on the first rinse before the oils are broken down.
• Treating from the center outward, which pushes a ring into the fabric.
• Using chlorine bleach on colors or on whites with spandex.
• Drying the garment while a faint greasy outline remains.