How to remove makeup stains from carpet

Beauty has become a multi-billion industry due to beauty influencers, makeup artists and a lot of new makeup brands. Analysts say in years to come it will get even bigger because millennials love makeup trends.

With all this makeup, stains are bound to happen on your clothing and in your home. One place prone to staining is carpet. Fortunately makeup stains can be removed from carpet with dish soap, ammonia, rubbing alcohol, makeup remover, and even shaving cream.

Read on to learn how to remove different makeup stains from your carpet.

Removing foundation from carpet

If you spill foundation on your bathroom rug, or accidentally rub your face against your carpet, it can leave an unsightly stain. Removing foundation stain from your carpet can be quite a challenge since most face foundations are oil-based. Fortunately, it’s not impossible.

You’ll need:

• 50 ml dish soap
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 100 ml warm water
• A towel

Follow the procedure:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 50 ml dish soap and 100 ml of warm water in a spray bottle.
2. Dampen the stain on your carpet with the mixture and gently blot the foundation. Be careful not to scrub at this stage because this might spread the stain deeper and further.
3. Keep dabbing at the stain while adding the dish soap solution until there’s no more foundation on the carpet.
4. Dampen a different towel or cloth in plain water and use this to rinse off any excess soapy solution
5. Leave the area to dry.
6. Vacuum as you normally would.

Eliminating eyeshadow stains with shaving cream

Smokey eyes are beautiful and make your eyes pop. However, things can get messy quickly when busy applying your eyeshadow. Just like the foundation, eyeshadows are also often oil-based.

You’ll need:

• Shaving cream
• 500 ml / 2 cups of water
• A towel

Follow these steps:

1. Dip the towel in the cold water and dab at the stain to just wet the area.
2. Hold the shaving cream over the eyeshadow and spray enough to cover the area, plus a bit extra.
3. Using your wet towel, rub the shaving cream into the carpet in circular motions while applying some pressure.
4. You can also use your fingers to scrub gently on the carpet the same way you massage shampoo into the scalp
5. Rinse your towel and dab the area to rinse off the shaving cream
6. Repeat the process until all the eyeshadow has come off.

If you don’t have shaving cream, try a dishwashing soap solution.

How to remove eyeliner/ mascara stains

An eyeliner stain is not one you can easily remove from carpet with plain water and soap, since most eyeliners and mascaras are waterproof these days. So, for this kind of stain you need a much tougher solution like hydrogen peroxide or ammonia.

You’ll need:

• A cup of warm water
• One teaspoon ammonia
• A towel

Follow the procedure:

1. Mix the ammonia with the water.
2. Dab the towel into the solution, then use this to blot at the eyeliner stain. Do not rub, just dab.
3. Use the towel to work on the eyeliner/ mascara stain in circular motions until you’re satisfied the eyeliner stain is gone.
4. Rinse your towel in cold clean water and blot to remove excess ammonia solution.
5. Using another dry towel, gently pat the area dry.

Getting rid of blush and bronzer stains on carpet

A blush or bronzer stain is the worst kind of stain that can get on your carpet. Though it helps to highlight, contour and show off your cheekbones it won’t add much beauty when it lands on your carpet. To remove blush stain from carpet:

You’ll need:

1. Makeup remover/ micellar water
2. 100 ml liquid dish soap
3. 500 ml hot water
4. A microfiber towel or cloth

Follow the procedure:

1. Apply the micellar water or makeup remover directly to the carpet.
2. Gently blot at the stain to get rid of what you can at this point.
3. Mix the dish soap with the hot water and pour some on the stain.
4. Continue to blot in circular motions with your towel until all the blush or bronzer has come off.
5. Rinse the area with a fresh, clean and damp microfiber cloth.
6. Leave it to dry.

Removing lipstick stains from carpet

Some people live by the mantra, “When in doubt, apply lipstick.” This saying can be very true on gloomy mornings, but if you stain your carpet with it, you might end up crankier than when you woke up. Luckily, it’s simple enough to remove a lipstick stain from carpet.

You’ll need:

1. 100 ml rubbing alcohol
2. 500 ml / 2 cups of warm water
3. A towel

Follow the procedure;

1. Apply the rubbing alcohol directly to the stain.
2. Dip the towel in the warm water and gently blot at the stained area, working on the lipstick
3. Pour more rubbing alcohol and keep blotting until all the lipstick has come off.
4. Blot the area dry with a clean cloth.

If during any of these stain removal processes, you ended up ruining your white towels with makeup stains, don’t worry. It’s also possible to get rid of them. Read here to learn how to remove makeup stains from white towels.

Frequently asked questions about makeup and carpet

How do you remove a makeup stain from carpet?

The best two ingredients for removing makeup stains are liquid dishwashing soap and shaving cream. If you don’t have the simple ingredients readily available, you can also use rubbing alcohol, baking powder and hydrogen peroxide as good and effective carpet stain removers.

Can the ingredients above be used to remove other carpet stains?

Ingredients like liquid dish soap, rubbing alcohol and baking powder can remove other stains from your carpet, including wine, chocolate and more. Note that you should take caution before mixing hydrogen peroxide and ammonia with other ingredients, as they can cause a negative reaction.

One of the best ways to remove carpet stains is with an enzyme cleaner. Enzyme cleaners are natural, non-toxic, and highly effective on stains. Read here to learn more about what an enzyme cleaner is. 

Does bleach remove makeup stains from carpets?

Bleach is not a good choice for getting rid of stains on carpet. Not only is it dangerous for your skin and lungs, but it will also damage the fabric of your carpet. A lighter and natural method, like dish soap or enzyme cleaners should always be the first choice when removing stains.

Wrapping up

The DIY methods above will help remove tough stains on your carpet, but to avoid makeup stains in the first place, place an old rug or towel down before you start your application.