How to get a makeup stain out of a white shirt

How to remove makeup from white clothes

1. 1

   Lift off what you can, dry

   Shake or gently brush off powder, blush or bronzer before it gets wet. Scrape thick foundation or concealer off with a dull knife. Don't wipe with a wet cloth.

   Why: On white, any pigment you smear is visible. Dry pigment wetted in place spreads into the yarns.

2. 2

   Read the care label

   Check the fiber content and the bleach symbol. Note whether the shirt has spandex, nylon or a wrinkle-free finish, and whether the triangle allows chlorine bleach.

   Why: Chlorine bleach damages spandex, can yellow some nylon, and can yellow and weaken resin-treated wrinkle-free cotton. The label decides your last step.

3. 3

   Dissolve the oily base

   For foundation, concealer or blush, rub heavy-duty liquid detergent into both sides of the stain and leave it a few minutes. For mascara, eyeliner or long-wear makeup, put the stain face down on paper towels and dab dry-cleaning solvent through the back first, then rub in detergent.

   Why: Makeup pigment is held in oils, waxes and film formers. Detergent emulsifies the oils; waterproof formulas need a solvent. Bleach can't remove an oily binder, so this has to happen first.

4. 4

   Wash in the warmest safe water

   Wash the shirt in the warmest water the label allows, with enough detergent. Wash it with other whites only.

   Why: Warm water and enough detergent carry off the loosened oil. Too little detergent or cold water on oily soil is a known cause of yellowing on whites.

5. 5

   Whiten any leftover tint

   If a beige or pink tint remains, soak the whole shirt in warm water with oxygen bleach for a few hours, or rewash with chlorine bleach diluted as directed if the label allows it. Bleach the whole shirt, not just the spot.

   Why: Bleach oxidizes the remaining colored compounds. Treating the whole garment keeps the white even, so you don't end up with a brighter patch.

6. 6

   Air-dry and check in daylight

   Hang it to dry and look at it in daylight. Repeat the detergent pretreatment and wash if any shadow remains before it goes in the dryer.

   Why: Heat sets leftover oil, which later yellows on white fabric.

Why makeup is so visible on a white shirt, and what bleach can and can't do

Makeup is fine pigment, such as iron oxides and titanium dioxide, carried in oils, waxes, silicones or an emulsion. On a colored shirt a faint residue can hide. On white, every trace shows, and the oily part slowly picks up soil and yellows if it's left in the fabric.

Bleach is tempting on white, but it works by oxidizing color, not by cleaning. It won't dissolve the oils and waxes holding the pigment, and the American Cleaning Institute's approach is to pretreat first and launder. Iron-oxide pigments are minerals rather than dyes, so they don't bleach easily either: they come out by being washed out, which may take a repeat. That's why the order matters. Remove the base first, then bleach any tint left. See white clothes for more on what whites can take.

By situation

Foundation ring on a white collar

Collars collect foundation and skin oil together, which yellows over time. Rub heavy-duty liquid detergent into the collar, leave it a few minutes and wash warm. For an older, yellowed ring, follow with an oxygen bleach soak for the whole shirt.

Lipstick on a white shirt

Lipstick is wax and oil with strong dyes. Dab dry-cleaning solvent or rubbing alcohol through the back over paper towels before detergent and washing. The lipstick stain guide has more detail.

Mascara or eyeliner

These are waxy and often waterproof, so solvent comes first, from the back of the fabric, then detergent. Black pigment that's left after washing usually needs another round of solvent and detergent rather than bleach.

Self tanner on a white shirt

Self tanner's DHA reacts with amino acids to brown, so it acts like a dye. Rinse it quickly, pretreat with detergent and soak in oxygen bleach. Chlorine bleach on white cotton, if allowed, is the stronger option.

White shirt with spandex or a wrinkle-free finish

Use oxygen bleach only. Chlorine bleach damages spandex and can yellow resin-treated cotton, the opposite of what you want.

White silk or a dry-clean-only blouse

Don't use water or bleach. Blot off what you can and take it to a dry cleaner soon, telling them it's makeup.

What not to do

• Don't bleach before removing the oily base. Bleach can't dissolve makeup oils, so the stain stays and can yellow.
• Don't spot-bleach with undiluted chlorine bleach. Concentrated bleach weakens and spots fabric, and a bright patch can show against the rest of the shirt.
• Don't use chlorine bleach on spandex, wool, silk or wrinkle-free cotton. It damages these fibers and causes yellowing that can't be reversed.
• Don't machine-dry while any stain remains. Heat sets leftover oil, which then yellows.

Other methods that work

3% hydrogen peroxide

A mild bleach that's safe on all fibers. Dab it on a leftover tint after washing, let it sit a few minutes, then rinse and rewash.

Caution: Test colored thread, trim or prints first. Use only the 3% drugstore strength.

Dish soap

For foundation, dish soap is a good stand-in for heavy-duty detergent because it's made to cut oil. Rub it in, leave a few minutes, and wash.

Caution: Rinse it out well before washing.

Micellar water or makeup remover

Commonly suggested because it dissolves makeup on skin. There's no fabric source for it, so treat it as a traditional method with weak evidence.

Caution: Oily removers can leave their own mark on white fabric. Wash right afterward.

Stain still there?

A yellow ring appeared after washing

Oil was left in the fabric. Pretreat again with heavy-duty liquid detergent, wash in the warmest safe water with enough detergent, and soak in oxygen bleach.

The shirt now has a brighter spot where you bleached

Spot-bleaching made the patch whiter than the rest. Soak the whole shirt in oxygen bleach so the color evens out.

A gray shadow from mascara remains

That's pigment still in the weave. Repeat the solvent step from the back, then detergent and a warm wash.

Safety

• Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or vinegar.
• Dry-cleaning solvents are flammable: ventilate and let the garment air out before washing.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Makeup on other surfaces

• Makeup stains: the complete guide
• Makeup on carpet
• Makeup on clothes

Other stains on white clothes

• Stains on white clothes: the complete guide
• Blood on white clothes
• Chocolate on white clothes
• Coffee on white clothes
• Red wine on white clothes
• Sweat on white clothes