How to Get Lipstick Out of Your Carpet

Lipstick stain on your carpet? Who kissed the carpet, anyway?

Lipstick stains are among the toughest to remove as far as stains go. With a little know-how and some experimentation, however, it's not impossible to get them out, even from your brand new white carpet.
Lipsticks contain pigments, oils, waxes, emollients, and such. Since the lipstick ingredients are mostly organic compounds, you need organic solvents to clean them. Using water won't work, but, on the contrary, will just make it worse by spreading and setting the stain into the carpet fibers.

Things You'll Need

• Paper or Cloth Towels
• Plastic Knife
• Goo Gone or
• Household chemicals mentioned in the article
• Mild Detergent (no bleach)

Instructions

1. If the spot is fresh, it is important to clean it right away. Start by carefully scraping up excess lipstick with a plastic knife out of the carpet. To avoid spreading the stain out, work from the edges to the center. Do not rub or scrub the stain or you will just spread it more.

2. 

   If you have Goo Gone cleaner, great, if not, it might be worth a trip to your local hardware store to get it. Goo Gone is by far the best cleaner to use for lipstick (and other greasy) stain removal.
   Apply some Goo Gone to a rag or paper towel and carefully dab the lipstick stain. Remember to work from the outside in, so that you don't spread the stain further. As lipstick transfers onto your rag, switch to using a clean section of it. It might take a while, but it should work.

3. If you don't have Goo Gone and don't feel like going to buy it, you can try some other household chemicals. Nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol, hairspray, petroleum jelly, even baby wipes - all can work on a lipstick stain. Test an inconspicuous area of the carpet using the household chemical of your choice for colorfastness though. If the test is successful, repeat step 2 with that chemical.

4. To finish, prepare a detergent solution: a squirt of dish soap into a cup of water will do. Pour some of it onto a cleaning rag and gently work the spot from the edges to the center. Follow with clear water instead of soap, and then blot the area with paper towels.

5. If, after rinsing, the stain is still there, repeat steps 2-4. Hopefully it will work. If not, you may want to consult a professional cleaner.
   Good luck!

Resources

• Buy Goo Gone