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How to remove lipstick stains from clothes

Updated · By the Luniva team

Quick answer

Use Luniva Pro Formula (the blue one). Spray it directly onto the stain, leave it for 1–3 minutes, then wash as normal following the garment care label.

Don't rub lipstick with water or a wet wipe: it spreads the colour. Treat it with Pro Formula and wash.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Lift off the excess

    Scrape away any lipstick sitting on the surface with a blunt knife or the edge of a card. Don't wipe: it spreads the pigment.

  2. 2

    Spray and wait 1–3 minutes

    Spray Luniva Pro Formula onto the mark until it's covered, in a well-ventilated area. Don't rub, and don't let it dry.

  3. 3

    Wash, then check

    Wash with your usual detergent, following the care label. Air-dry and check before tumble drying: heat sets any oily residue.

Safe handling for Pro Formula

  • Use in a well-ventilated area. Open a window or run an extractor fan.
  • Keep away from open flames, sparks and hot surfaces while spraying.
  • Avoid spraying towards the face or eyes. Wear household gloves for prolonged use.
  • Keep out of reach of children. Wash hands after handling.

A lipstick kiss on a collar, a smear on a scarf, or a lip gloss that went through the wash in a pocket: lipstick is made of waxes, oils and strong pigment, so it's an oily stain that ordinary washing struggles to shift. Luniva Pro Formula is made for makeup marks like these: lift off the excess, spray, wait 1–3 minutes, then wash as normal.

Why lipstick smears instead of washing out

Lipstick is designed to stay put: waxes and oils hold the pigment on your lips, and they hold it on fabric just as well. Water can't dissolve wax or oil, so rubbing a lipstick mark with a damp cloth just spreads the colour wider. Pro Formula is not an enzyme product. It uses grease-releasing chemistry and surfactants to loosen oily deposits from washable fabric fibres so they can be carried away in the wash.

Fabric guide

  • Recommended

    Cotton, polyester, polycotton, denim, canvas, heavy workwear and most colour-fast everyday garments, towels and bedding.

  • Avoid

    Silk, wool, leather, suede, rayon/viscose, acetate, delicate synthetics, waterproof membranes (e.g. Gore-Tex), flame-retardant finishes, and anything whose care label warns against solvents.

  • Patch-test first

    Spray a hidden area such as an inside seam, leave 1–3 minutes, rinse and let it dry. If you see colour loss, stiffness or surface change, don't use it on that garment.

  • Use it on its own

    Ready to use: never add water. Never mix with bleach, ammonia, acidic cleaners or other detergents. Don't let it dry on the fabric.

Lipstick & lip gloss: questions

Often, yes, but heat makes it harder. Spray Pro Formula, leave 1–3 minutes and wash again. It may need more than one round.

Yes. Long-wear formulas hold their colour strongly, so repeat once if a shadow remains, before the garment goes near the dryer.

They're oily too, so use Pro Formula the same way. A lip balm that went through the wash in a pocket often leaves greasy spots on the whole load: treat each spot and wash again.

No. Pro Formula isn't for silk, wool, leather or anything labelled dry-clean only. Take those to a professional cleaner.

Blue. Lipstick is a makeup stain, and Luniva's guidance is to use Pro Formula for makeup, body oils and other oily marks.

Based on controlled laboratory testing. Performance may vary by stain type, fabric, age of the stain and wash conditions. Always follow the garment care label and test an inconspicuous area first.

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