Makeup stains are one of the hardest to remove from the carpet. Because of their chemical ingredients, they are made to last. What to do if instead of painting yourself you ended up leaving a nasty mark on your carpet? First of all, read this guide! I will explain in detail how to remove different types of makeup out of the carpet including foundation, eyeshadow eyeliner, and lipstick stains.
How to Get Foundation Out of Carpet
Foundation misfortune has happened to everyone. This is a very common type of stain on the carpet, but luckily for us, it can be removed with do-it-yourself methods. Of course, it can also be removed with chemical carpet shampoo. I will explain both options, so you can make a choice.
The number one rule of any cleaning is to start removing the liquid as soon as the accident has happened. If you noticed that foundation was spilled on the carpet, immediately scrape it off with a kitchen knife or a spoon. The sooner you remove it, the less chance it has to get to the base of the carpet, creating even a deeper stain.
You will need:
- cold water
- dishwashing liquid
- paper towels
- microfibre cloth
- vacuum cleaner
Now let’s prepare a DIY cleaning solution.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with 2 cups of cold water.
- Apply this mixture on the paper towel or a cloth, and gently blot the carpet stain. Start from the outside of this stain, moving towards the center. This way the stain won’t become even larger.
- Gently rub the stain until you see that all the foundation is passed on to the cloth.
- Rinse your carpet with clear water. To do this, dampen your microfibre cloth in clean cold water, and dab at the carpet. Proceed until all the soapy residue is gone.
- Blot on the carpet with a dry microfiber cloth.
- Vacuum the carpet to return it to an original fluffy texture.
Remove foundation with a stain remover
Another method to remove the foundation out of the carpet used to use specially created carpet stain remover. This method has its own advantages. You can be sure that makeup won’t stand any chance. I always advocate nature-friendly cleaning solutions, that’s why my favorite is Puracy Natural Stain Remover. It’s extremely effective, and safe for the environment.
If you are removing a dry stain, apply some water to the stain first, to soften the fibers. If the stain is fresh, blot it gently with a paper towel to remove the access foundation. Then, proceed to the next step.
- Spray the stain remover on the foundation stain, and leave it there for around 10 minutes.
- Rinse the carpet with lukewarm water, to remove any soapy residue.
- Blot the carpet with a paper towel until completely dry, and then vacuum clean it.
How to Get Eyeshadow Out of Carpet
Eyeshadow is a tricky stain because it usually falls face down and leaves a lot of microscopic powder granules. Happened even to the best of us! No need to worry, eyeshadow stains are absolutely treatable. The first thing you need to do is delete the excess eyeshadow out of the carpet, to make sure that it will not spread even further during the cleaning process.
Collect the eyeshadow. You can use a spoon to collect the visible large particles of eyeshadow. However, vacuuming is much more effective. When vacuuming, do not press the nozzle too hard against the carpet surface. Don’t push it from side to side. It has to touch the carpet slightly, in order to avoid the stain setting even deeper.
Apply the cleaning solution. There are quite a few cleaning methods that effectively remove eyeshadow from the carpet.
- Eye makeup remover. It’s created for this purpose. Choose a clear colored remover, and make a test on the inconspicuous area first. Some makeup removers are very abrasive and can damage the glue base of your carpet. When in doubt, use micellar water. Apply a little eye makeup remover on the cloth, and then rub the carpet with this cloth. Avoid applying the solution directly on the carpet (to protect the carpet base). Gently blot the area of the stain. Eyeshadow should easily separate from the carpet fibers. Once finished, rinse the carpet with lukewarm water, and dry it.
- Cleaning solvent, commercial stain remover. Read the instructions on the label, and follow them correctly. Dab the cloth with stain remover, and blot the stain. After that, rinse the carpet thoroughly.
- Laundry detergent. This solution is great for treating the eyeshadow that has oil in ingredients. The detergent will create a soapy mix that will penetrate the carpet fibers, pushing the stain out. To prepare the cleaning solution based on detergent, mix 5 drops of clear-colored laundry detergent with 1 cup of lukewarm water. Apply it on the white cloth, and rub on the stain, until the stain completely disappears, and the carpet becomes clear. If needed, repeat the cleaning once again. Rinse the carpet with clean water, and then dry it.
- Hydrogen peroxide (only for the light-colored carpets). For this type of cleaning, you will need 3% hydrogen peroxide, water, two microfibre cloths, and a towel. Apply a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on the stain, and blot it with a cloth. Leave it on the eyeshadow stain for a few minutes, and rinse it with lukewarm water. Use the second microfiber cloth to blot the carpet dry.
How to Get Eyeliner Out of Carpet
Eyeliner stains are tricky to get rid of because they usually have a dark color which makes it a nightmare for the light-colored carpets. Make sure you follow the following steps to get rid of this persistent stain. First of all, act fast, the eyeliner dries quickly, and the more it stays inside the carpet, the more effort it will take you to clean the stain. This is how you can remove it from the carpet:
- Prepare a cleaning solution. You will need ½ cup of water, 1 tablespoon of ammonia. Additionally, 1 white towel.
- Blot the eyeliner stain with a water/ammonia mix, make sure that the area is completely wet. Use a clean piece of towel each time you immerse it in the cleaning solution to prevent the color transfer from the towel back to the carpet.
- Leave the solution on the carpet for a few minutes.
- Rinse the carpet, remove the remains of the ammonia liquid.
- Blot the carpet dry, and vacuum it. To speed up the process, use a hairdryer.
How Do You Get Lipstick Out of Carpet
Lipstick was created to make the world a better place. We can completely change our look, and make us feel like beauty queens. Can’t say the same about the carpets. When the lipstick gets on the carpet, and (in the works care scenario) gets stepped on, it turns your carpet into a colorful mess. Lipstick stains may be hard to remove because they have grease ingredients. To break this chemical, and remove the lipstick out of the carpet, you’ll need:
- Water
- Rubbing alcohol
- White microfiber cloth
- Protective gloves
- Vacuum
First of all, try to collect as much lipstick as you can with a spoon. Scoop up, don’t let it create even a larger stain.
- Wet the white cloth in rubbing alcohol, and apply to the stain. Brush it gently, blotting rather than rubbing. The lipstick should start coming off the carpet at this stage.
- Make a mix of liquid dish soap and water (1 tbsp of soap per 1 cup of water), and apply in on the carpet to remove the remains of the rubbing alcohol.
- Rinse the carpet in a usual manner, with cold water. Dry it.
If the above method didn’t help, place a white paper towel over the stain and heat the iron to the lowest temperature. Quickly run the iron over the paper towel, then check the underside of the towel. The stain should be transferred to the towel. Repeat this process until the stain is gone.
Precautions to be Used in Removing Makeup from the Carpet
- Always wear protective equipment when doing the cleaning work. Make sure to wear gloves and a face mask to protect against the fumes. Cleaning solutions are often aggressive on the skin and may cause irritation.
- Don’t attempt to clean oriental, Persian, and silk carpets. If you have antique carpets/rugs, leave this task to the cleaning company.
- As with any other stain, different makeup products require different treatments. Before proceeding with the cleaning, check the carpet manufacturer’s instructions for care, and take a test on a hidden inconspicuous area. If the dye in the fiber fades or changes color, try a different method.
- Act fast when you notice the stain. The longer you wait, the worse the stain becomes.
- Don’t rub the stains during cleaning, because it may spread the stain. Blot them gently with a cleaning solution.
- Don’t apply the cleaning solution directly on the carpet. Instead, apply it on the towel, and clean the carpet with a moisturized towel.
- Don’t leave the carpet to air-dry after the cleaning. Since you’ve used the cleaning solution, and fibers have a lot the shape, leaving the carpet to air-dry may leave circles on the carpet. Instead, blot it dry and use a wet/dry vacuum or a hairdryer.
Don’t miss out on our post about how to get nail polish out of carpet.
Conclusion
Removing the makeup from the carpet is difficult, but absolutely possible. I hope this post has provided you some valuable insights, and you’ll know how to get makeup out of the carpet without damaging the delicate carpet fibers. Now you’re armed to deal with any stains! Believe in yourself, test out different cleaning methods on an inconspicuous area first, and you’ll be rewarded with fresh-looking carpets.