How to Get Rid of Mascara Out of Clothes – 10 Effective Tips

Mascara works well on the lashes but not on clothing. You shouldn’t be concerned if you accidentally stained your favorite top with mascara. We have ten solutions to help you with that issue, not one, not two, or even three. Let’s get started right away without further ado.

Getting Rid of Mascara Out of Clothes

Makeup can be completed with the aid of mascara. The next morning, it still comes off of your lashes. It may not come off as quickly or easily, but it is still capable of doing so. Please allow us to show you how to remove that mascara stain before you throw away that top.

1. Liquid Detergent

Of course, we can’t forget about liquid detergents like Ariel or Tide.

With this approach, you would want to liberally apply liquid detergent to the area that needed cleaning. After letting it sit for a while, wash it normally.

To increase the likelihood of successfully removing the mascara stain after just one wash, it would be ideal to use one of the alternative methods before using liquid detergent. You can, however, initially try this approach if you’d like. When you might want to try the alternative methods is if the mascara is still present after washing.

2. Makeup Remover

In addition to helping you remove makeup from your face and clothes, makeup removers can also help you with makeup stains.

This option may be most effective if the stain is still recent. Take some cotton balls or q-tips and soak them in your makeup remover. Gently dab the affected area. Continue until no more mascara is coming off, but don’t rub.

You may also want to turn the affected item of clothing inside out, though it is unlikely that the mascara made it to the other side. Pour some makeup remover from the back and gently dab at the front once more. When pouring the makeup remover, it might also be a good idea to place a rag or some paper towels in front of the stain. In this manner, the mascara stain would transfer to the paper towels rather than the garment.

For this, you can also use makeup wipes.

This technique works well as an immediate pretreatment, but if any mascara stain remains afterward, combine it with another technique.

3. Rubbing Alcohol

As with makeup removers, you can use this one.

Avoid soaking the area in rubbing alcohol if possible. Alternatively, soak the q-tips or cotton balls.

If you apply any liquid to the stain while it’s still wet, it might spread to other places. Pour any liquid cleaning solution on the mascara stain only after you’ve removed a sizable amount of it.

If you don’t have either of the two, you might try using hand sanitizer if you have any on hand. Make sure, though, that you’re using clear type. Some hand sanitizers, especially those made for children, frequently contain dye or sparkles. Avoid using those because they might cause their own stain.

4. Dish Soap

Dish soap like Dawn and Joy could also help.

Dish soap would be a fantastic cleaning agent for those since most mascaras contain wax or oil.

Dish soap can be used to remove stains in a variety of ways.

First, liberally apply dish soap to the stain and gently scrub the area with a toothbrush or your fingers.

On the other hand, you can combine some water and dish soap. Apply the solution to a sponge or cloth, then dab the stain with care.

5. Stain Remover

Stain removers are similar to dish soap in how they should be used. Spray some stain remover on the spot, then work it into the fabric with your fingers or a toothbrush. Before washing, let it sit for a few minutes or several hours.

If you’re dealing with a tough stain, then it might be better to use stain removers like Spray n Wash than dish soap.

Now would be a good time to point out that the names we’ve suggested are just that—suggestions. Use the brands that you prefer.

6. Baking Soda & Vinegar

There are a few things you can try if you’re more interested in using a natural remedy than a bleach solution. Be aware that these materials lack the strength or power of bleach or dishwasher detergent, but with the right application, they ought to function just fine.

Baking soda and vinegar should be used first. The area stained by mascara should first have some baking soda sprinkled on it before being covered in vinegar.

Start cleaning the area with a small scrub brush once the fizzing has stopped. If this doesn’t work, you can also try the baking soda and a tiny bit of lemon juice. The same as above, but switch out the vinegar for baking soda. You can begin scrubbing the spot right away because it won’t foam or bubble. When you have finished, wash the item with your usual liquid detergent.

Both of these techniques will take a lot of time and probably require a repeated application to completely remove the mascara stain, just like the majority of the previously discussed techniques. Before giving up the fight, as it were, you should try to scrub it at least twice or three times.

Never dry your clothes if you were unable to get the stain out. Almost always, doing so will make it irreversible.

7. Bleach

If none of the other solutions are working and the stain is particularly difficult to remove, you might want to think about using bleach if you really want to save that shirt.

But you may want to avoid this one as much as you can. Bleach might be bad for the environment and your clothes! You should think of it as a last-ditch option.

Not So Common Stain Removers

Perhaps none of the cleaning solutions above surprised you. But you might be a little surprised by our last set. Who knew these could be useful for laundry-related issues?

8. Shaving Cream

If by chance, shaving cream was all you had when the mascara accident occurred, today might be your lucky day.

Yes, shaving cream may be beneficial.

Apply shaving cream to the troublesome area and let it sit for a while. After some time, either wipe off the shaving cream or run cold water over it to remove it.

9. Hairspray

In fact, when it comes to different stains, hairspray is frequently recommended. But fewer people now use them. The reason for this is that not all hairsprays are effective. Only some types have this potential. those that contain a lot of alcohol, specifically.

Having said that, you can use hairspray in the same way that you would use rubbing alcohol. However, many recommend using hairspray in a different way.

Spraying a lot of hairspray on the affected area is what you should do. Let it air dry after that. Once it dries, you can remove it with a wet wipe or a dampened cloth.

10. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can be found here. Again, you can use it because it resembles rubbing alcohol. Use it with caution though, as it is a little stronger.

What Not to Use and What Not to Do

Water

I don’t know about you, but I used to think that rinsing stains with water was a good idea every time. Anytime I got something on my clothes, I went in search of water to wash it off. Mascara stains could be just one of the many reasons why that is not always a good idea, as I discovered when I realized that.

Most mascaras contain wax, oil, or both. These things are hydrophobic, as you may already be aware. It would probably not be a good idea to pretreat with water.

In fact, it might make matters worse. Water might not change the wax and oil in any way, but it might alter the dye. It might even make the issue worse rather than solve it!

Rubbing

It is almost always tempting to rub a stain. Sometimes it seems like we could solve a problem with a few good scrubs. That isn’t typically the case, though.

When attempting to blot, rubbing is not recommended. The issue might get worse as a result. The stain may occasionally appear to be fading. But since it’s coming off of your clothes, it can’t. It might be because it’s spreading.

Things to Remember

Test It

Before beginning to treat the stain, always test your chosen cleaning solution in a discreet area, especially if you’re working with delicate materials.

They might be able to remove the stain, but they also might be able to remove the color!

Know Your Fabric

Get to know the fabric you’re working with in addition to testing the product on a hidden area. You’ll be able to gauge your level of perseverance better in this way. Cotton, for instance, might be able to withstand slightly more pressure than silk.

Knowing your fabric may also help you determine which cleaning solutions will work best to remove the specific stain.

Scrape

Don’t forget to scrape as much of the stain off before applying any remedies to mascara stains or other stains like it. Since mascara stains are typically small, you can remove them with your fingernail or a toothpick. You might try using a blunt knife for larger stains.

Although it might seem like an extra task, scraping the stain off is helpful. By doing this, you not only avoid spreading the mascara to other areas but also remove some of the stains.

Summary: 10 Tips to Get Rid of Mascara Out of Clothes

Many of us have been in your position: You’ve finished donning your makeup without making any mistakes. Then, the mascara wand slips – resulting in stained clothing and you wondering how to remove mascara from clothes. Accidents involving mascara can occur at any time (and have for many of us!), so it’s good to know how to get the stain out if it does happen.

This accident can be incredibly stressful if you wear waterproof mascara. But if you have some dish soap, warm water, and stain remover on hand, you should be able to get mascara out of your favorite outfits. You might need to use fabric-safe bleach or rubbing alcohol for tougher stains. Good luck!