Whether it was a friendly hug, intimate encounter, or simply an accident while you were getting dressed – lipstick marks tend to look worse than they really are. The key is to work smart; the wrong move can make those pesky lipstick marks very hard to remove. Follow along and we'll show you how to kill the stain and save your clothes.

How to Remove Lipstick Stains from Clothing

The very first thing you should do when attacking a lipstick stain is to read your clothing's care label. If you’re not sure how to care for a piece of clothing or it’s dry clean only then take it to the dry cleaners – why risk ruining that expensive shirt or blouse? If you decide to take it to the dry cleaner, do no pre-treat it. If you’re going to do it yourself you may want to first try the steps below on a less conspicuous part of the garment to make sure you don't make things worse. Lipsticks are oil or wax-based and lipstick marks should be removed accordingly. Follow these steps:

1. Using a clean, absorbent cloth, dab (don’t rub!) the lipstick stain with rubbing alcohol until either the stain is gone, or is no longer lifting.
2. Using either your finger or a cue-tip, very gently rub dishwashing detergent into the stain until it’s saturated and run cold water through the stain from the opposite side. Repeat until either the stain is gone, or this method stops helping.
3. Find a product called Lestoil, it’s made by Clorox and should be available at your local grocer. Saturate the lipstick stains and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then run the garment through a wash cycle.
4. If everything above has failed you, it's probably best to bring it to your drycleaners.

If you have some tips for removing lipstick stains, please share them with others using the form at the bottom of this page.

Preventing Lipstick Marks

If you’re wearing anything that needs to be slipped over your head, drape some slippery fabric like satin, silk, or certain synthetics over your head so it shields your face from your clothes as you pull them on.

If you’re already fully dressed, wrap a towel around your neck or tuck it into your collar to shield your clothes form accidents.