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Makeup can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you are not too careful, it can ruin your clothes, your carpet, your furniture. Some makeup product can be not only longlasting on your skin but practically permanent on your new silk dress or linen couch. Knowing how hard it is to clean makeup stains we have gathered some valuable tips to help you make your clothes and furniture look like new.

Easy to Remove Makeup Stains

Let's start with something simple and gradually move up to the hardest stains to clean.

• Lipstick. Most lipsticks are oil-based which means that they soak fast into the fabric and can't be cleaned by a simple wet wipe. The best way to remove these kinds of stains is by using hard soap and water. Avoid more soft products like Dove soaps. Do not apply it directly to the damaged fabric. Use a wet cloth or sponge, spread the soap on it and blot the stain. Work only on this one spot and don't wet the whole fabric. Repeat the blotting a couple of times and that use a clean wet cloth to wipe it.
• Foundation. Liquid foundations are great at creating the illusion of the smooth and soft skin but are terrible to clean from fabric. Do not leave the stain to dry. It will just get harder to remove it. Fresh spots are easier to remove. First try to clean as much of the product you can, without spreading it all over the place. Use hydrogen peroxide and gently rub a couple of drops onto the stain. Rub it with your fingers or use an old toothbrush. Wash the fabric with some cold water and liquid soap. Dry it out with a towel.
• Powders. We are including eyeshadows, bronzers, highlighters, etc. Powders are easy to clean. Dust the access product from the stained surface. Treat, what is left with liquid detergent and cold water. Dry it with a paper towel.
• Mascara. Most mascaras are water-resistant. This, however, is a good thing. You can simply use makeup remover and a cotton ball to clean the stains. If you are unlucky enough to use waterbased mascara things become a little harder. You need to act quickly and clean the stain while it is still fresh. Do not use the method listed above because you will spread the product further onto the fabric. Use a wet toothbrush dabbed in liquid detergent and with circular motions rub the spot. Clean it with cold water. Repeat until the stain is all gone.
• Eyeliner. The most important thing when removing eyeliner from fabric is never to rub, always to blot. Pour a little liquid soap on a small sponge and blot the stain. Use cold water to wash the spot.

Makeup Cleaning Rules

By now perhaps you have noticed there are a few cleaning rules that must be followed to properly clean any type of fabric. They are not something invented on the spot. We have asked one of the top cleaning company in London to lend us a hand in our research for the best cleaning tips. Here is what they told us, based on their experience:

• Always use cold water when cleaning. It sounds a little controversial when you think about your washing machine and how it uses hot water, but there is a reason for that. When you are washing a small piece of the fabric, your main goal is to wet this specific spot and work solely on it. If you mix soap and hot water, the water makes the soap lather, and the more you rub, the more lather you will get. In the end, the stain will be bigger, and everything will be wet.
• Always blot never rub. There are a very few occasions when it is ok to rub a stain. Blotting is a more gentle cleaning approach. It won't cause the stain to embed deeper into the fabric, on the contrary, it will lift it.
• Liquid soap is your best friend. You can remove any stain if you have the correct liquid detergent. Remember to never use coloured or scented cleaning solutions, they may damage your fabrics.

Cleaning Makeup Stains From Delicate Fabrics

Not all fabrics are the same. You cant treat silk and cotton equally. There are some basic cleaning rules you need to familiarise yourself with.

• Cotton. This is the easiest fabric to work with. Apply the blotting rule, if you rub you may stretch the fabric. Cotton has no specific requirements so you can treat it with water and liquid detergent.
• Silk. Now, here comes one of the most pretentious fabrics there is. You need to check if this particular silk item can be washed by hand and if it needs any specific detergents. Always read the labels on your garments and make sure to follow strictly the maker’s instructions. Do not use bleach or any aggressive cleaning solutions.
• Linen. Another hard to clean fabric is the linen. You need to clean the stain while it is still fresh or else it will require a dry cleaning. There are a couple of DIY’s that you can try using baking soda or vinegar. However, we advise you to just by a specifically made detergent. Do not risk cleaning your makeup stains with soap or wet wipes.