How to Get Makeup
Out of Carpet

Whether you are a beauty makeover artist or only use makeup when you have to, you’ve probably run into a makeup stain on your clothes. Many of us have a trick or two for cleaning up makeup, but what do you do when you get makeup on your carpet? You turn to The Maids’ library of handy housekeeping guides, of course!

We’ve cleaned thousands of homes, so we know how to fight carpet stains, dirt, and dust. If you’re a DIY person, you can count on our professional guides, and when you need a helping hand around the house, our team of cleaning experts is just around the corner.

Pro Tips For Removing Makeup Stains

When you’re learning how to remove makeup from carpet, you don’t have to resort to harsh solvents or potentially toxic carpet cleaners. You can get the job done with a few household staples you likely have on hand. But before you dive in, there are a few tips and precautions you should know.

These tips apply when you’re learning how to remove makeup from carpet or any other fabrics:

• Tackle stains right away for best results.
• Check your care instructions before you use a stain remover, natural or not.
• Test your stain remover of choice on an out-of-the-way area to ensure colorfastness.
• Dab makeup stains. Don’t rub or scrub as you could drive the makeup deeper into the carpet fibers.
• Work from the outside of the stain toward the center to prevent the stain from spreading.
• Don’t use colored cloths or paper towels to dab stains. You may transfer the fabric color to your carpet.
• Vacuum to fluff up the fibers after you remove a makeup stain. Be sure to wait until your carpet is dry.

Here are the cleaning supplies you’ll need to learn how to get makeup out of carpet:

• Spray bottle
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Rubbing alcohol
• Baking soda
• Hair spray
• Rubber gloves
• Multiple clean, white microfiber cloths

Check your cleaning inventory, gather your gear, and let’s learn how to get makeup out of the carpet.

How to Get Foundation Out of Carpet

Because foundation comes in powder and liquid, you’ll need to know how to get foundation out of carpet for both formulas. Liquid foundation is often oil-based, so you’ll need a stain remover that will break down the oil and clean the carpet fibers.

Here’s how to remove liquid foundation from carpet:

• Pour baking soda onto the makeup stain and let it absorb the excess.
• Scrape away the baking soda with a butter knife and repeat the process until most of the stain has been absorbed.
• Spray hair spray onto the makeup stain without saturating the area.
• Fluff the carpet with your fingers to get the hair spray down into the carpet and let the fibers absorb it for five minutes.
• Use a damp microfiber cloth to dab the stain. The makeup should come off with the hair spray.
• Rinse the area with a wet dishcloth to remove the stain and hair spray residue. Let the carpet air dry.

Powder foundation isn’t as sticky and thick as liquid foundation, so getting powdered makeup out of carpet can be easier. Here’s how you do it:

• Vacuum excess foundation, putting your vacuum on its highest setting.
• Mix a few drops of liquid dish soap with water in a spray bottle.
• Soak the makeup stain with the soapy solution.
• Use a dry microfiber cloth to dab up the foundation and soapy water.
• Rinse the stained area with a clean wet dishcloth and let the carpet air dry.

If a foundation stain doesn’t come out of the carpet using the above methods, you may need more firepower. Pour just enough hydrogen peroxide onto the stain to cover it, then lay a damp dishcloth over the stain. Let the solution break down the stain for five minutes, then rinse with a wet cloth.

How to Get Eyeshadow Out of Carpet

Learning how to remove makeup from carpet, like mascara for instance, may seem more of a challenge than removing other makeup. After all, you could be dealing with pressed powder, loose powder, cream, or other eye shadow formulas. Thankfully, dish soap does a pretty good job of removing all of them.

Here’s how to get eyeshadow out of carpet:

• Remove excess eyeshadow powder from the carpet with a hand vac and use a butter knife to scrape off excess liquid eyeshadow.
• Mix a few drops of liquid dish soap and warm water in a bowl.
• Dampen a clean cloth with soapy water and dab the stain gently.
• Move to different areas of the cloth as the stain is absorbed.
• Continue dabbing the makeup stain until color stops transferring to your cleaning cloth.

If the eye shadow is oil-based, you may need to take an additional step to remove the makeup stain. Apply a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to the stain, wait 60 seconds, then press down on the area with a dry cloth to absorb the peroxide and makeup.

How to Remove Mascara From Carpet

Mascara may not come in as many formulas as eyeshadow, but there’s an important difference between water- and oil-based mascaras. Water-based makeup cleans up easily with soap and water, while greasy makeup stains need a bit more work.

Here’s how to remove water-based mascara from your carpet:

• Mix a few drops of dish soap and water in a spray bottle.
• Soak the mascara stain and let the solution sit for five minutes.
• Use a damp microfiber cloth to blot up the mascara and soap residue.
• Rinse the area with a wet dishcloth and let the stained area air dry.

For oil-based mascara, use rubbing alcohol:

• Soak the mascara stain with rubbing alcohol.
• Blot the stain using a clean, dry cloth.
• Continue blotting using clean parts of the cloth until no more color is absorbed.
• Rinse the stained area with a wet cloth and vacuum when the carpet dries.

How do you know if your mascara is made with oil or water? If the mascara is labeled water-proof, it’s probably oil-based. You can also check the ingredients and look for paraffin or hyaluronic acid. If the mascara contains either of these, it’s made with oils.

How to Get Lipstick Out of Carpet

We’re not sure, but we think they started making lipstick in square cylinders because of so many makeup mishaps! Round lipstick has an annoying habit of rolling off a surface when the cap is off and plopping onto the floor or carpet.

When you’re figuring out how to get lipstick out of carpet, you have to choose a solution that breaks down the greasy ingredients. Your stain remover must also be strong enough to handle the bright dyes found in lipstick. The solution? Distilled white vinegar.

Here’s how to remove lipstick from carpet using the natural cleaning power of vinegar:

• Use a butter knife to gently scrape away excess lipstick.
• Work from the outside in, and be careful not to spread the stain or push the lipstick deeper into the carpet.
• Mix a few drops of liquid dish soap, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and warm water in a bowl.
• Dip a microfiber cloth into the cleaning solution, wring out the excess, and dab the stain.
• Move to clean parts of your cloth as the stain is absorbed and continue until no more color is absorbed.
• Rinse the area with a wet cloth and let the carpet dry.

If you find the odor of vinegar too strong, you’ll be glad to know the vinegar and the odor will naturally evaporate as the carpet dries. If you can’t wait that long, add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to the mix to neutralize the vinegar aroma.

We hope our guide for how to get makeup out of carpet gets you the results you’re after, but if you still see the makeup stain after using these methods, you may want to call in a professional carpet cleaner.

No matter what your cleaning needs, you can count on The Maids to make life easier. Get your free online estimate today for one of our popular house cleaning services and find out what a difference we can make in your home.