How To Get Makeup Out Of Carpet: The Ultimate Guide

Makeup has a curious habit of finding its way onto our carpets, doesn’t it? No matter how careful you are, there’s always a smudge, smear or smattering of something on the floor after you’ve finished with it. But never fear, it can all be removed with a few simple store cupboard ingredients and easy processes.

Here’s our ultimate guide on how to get makeup out of carpet, including all the biggest offenders like foundation, mascara, lipstick and eyeshadow stains.

A note before we begin: Remember to always check your carpet care instructions as well as the labels on any cleaning agents or solvents before applying them to your carpet. Use extra caution with natural wool carpets and always test on an inconspicuous area first.

Once you know your carpet’s care instructions, it’s time to discover how to get makeup out of carpet. Let’s start with a popular cosmetic found in any makeup bag … foundation.

Table of content

• How to get foundation out of carpet
• How to get mascara out of carpet
• How to get eye shadow out of carpet
• How to get lipstick out of carpet
• How to get makeup out of carpet (and other stains)

How to get foundation out of carpet

You will need:

• Plain, white cloth or non-dyed absorbent kitchen paper
• Plain lukewarm water
• Cornstarch
• Carpet cleaner

With its oily texture and orange tint, foundation is a carpet’s worst enemy. When you discover a blob of foundation on the carpet it’s easy to panic and start scrubbing furiously, but don’t. Instead, take a deep breath and follow these easy instructions on how to get foundation out of carpet:

Step 1: remove any excess foundation

If you’ve just made a fresh foundation stain on carpet, the first thing to do is dab up any excess. Using a plain cloth or a piece of non-dyed absorbent kitchen paper, gently dab up any extra foundation working from the outside of the stain inwards. This will help prevent the stain from spreading.

Step 2: soak in lukewarm water

Some foundations can be dissolved in warm water, so try applying a small amount of water and continue gently dabbing up the stain with your plain cloth. You may need to rotate your cloth to use clean areas as you go, until you’ve absorbed as much of the stain as possible.

Step 3: apply starch

Sprinkle a layer of cornstarch over the area and leave it to sit for 2-24 hours. Cornflour is a great absorbent and will help draw any remaining oily residue, water and odour out of the carpet. After you’ve allowed it to sit for as long as you can, vacuum the starch away. This can remove makeup stains in many cases.

Step 4 (optional): apply carpet stain remover

However, if you are still left with a remnant stain, a carpet stain remover solution can help dissolve any remaining foundation. Apply your stain remover using the manufacturer’s instructions and leave to soak if needed.

When trying to remove makeup stains, make sure you check the care guide instructions for your carpet before applying a cleaning solution, and test in an inconspicuous area first if in doubt. After application, dab again with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue. This should remove stubborn foundation stains on carpet (or carpet runners) if the other steps fail.

And now you know how to get foundation out of carpet! So long as you’re patient and persistent with it, a foundation stain should be entirely removable.

How to get mascara out of carpet

With its jet-black colour and thick, gloopy texture, mascara is a nightmare stain on carpets. But removing mascara isn’t impossible. It can be removed with a little quick thinking and a few key essentials. So next time your mascara wand drops to the floor, follow these simple steps for removing mascara out of your carpet.

You will need:

• Two plain white cloths
• Washing up liquid
• Cool water

Step 1: treat the stain

Mix around 500ml of cool water with one tablespoon of washing-up liquid. Dip one of your cloths in the solution, squeeze out any excess and blot the stain gently. Repeat this blotting, moving to clean areas of cloth each time, until no more colour is absorbed by the cloth.

Step 2: rinse

Blot again with your second clean cloth dipped in a little more water to ‘rinse’ the area and remove all soapy residue. Then blot again with the dry end of your cloth to absorb any excess moisture and allow the carpet to air dry.

Step 3: vacuum

Once the carpet is completely dry, vacuum the area to restore the carpet’s original pile texture. And that’s how to get mascara out of carpet. Easy when you know how!

How to get eyeshadow out of carpet

Eyeshadow is a carpet stain waiting to happen. With its crumbly texture and tendency for smudging, it’s one of the easiest types of makeup to drop and accidentally rub into carpet fibres. If you’ve just made this exact mistake, follow our tips on how to get eyeshadow out of carpet:

You will need:

• Mild liquid laundry detergent (about 5-6 drops)
• Clean white cloth
• Hydrogen peroxide 3% (if detergent is unsuccessful)

Step 1: remove excess powder

Wondering where to begin or how to remove eyeshadow from carpet? Start by gently lifting any excess eyeshadow powder from the carpet using a plastic spoon, the edge of a knife or a vacuum.

Step 2: treat the stain

Mix your laundry detergent with around 250ml of cold water and dip your cloth into the solution to make it slightly damp. Wring out any excess if necessary before gently blotting the stain with the cloth. Repeat this process, gradually moving to clean areas of the cloth until no more colour is absorbed. Remember – blot, don’t rub!

Step 3: (if steps 1 & 2 are unsuccessful) treat the stain with hydrogen peroxide

If your eyeshadow is oil-based, try applying a couple of drops of household hydrogen peroxide (make sure it is no more than 3% strength) onto the stain. Make sure you only apply it to the stain and not on the surrounding carpet and do not use this solution on wool fibres. Leave to soak for one minute before pressing gently with a clean cloth to lift the stain and hydrogen peroxide out of the fibres.

Step 4: leave to dry

Allow the area to air dry and then vacuum the area to restore the carpet pile to its original appearance.

And that’s how to get eyeshadow out of carpet. Now you’ll always be ready just in case this treacherous form of makeup decides to take yet another dive onto your carpets.

How to get lipstick out of carpet

Lipstick has an irritating habit of rolling itself straight off the table right onto your cream carpet. Usually bright in colour and super sticky, lipstick stains on carpet are a real pain to remove. But fear not; it can be done! Simply follow our step-by-step guide on how to get lipstick out of carpet.

You will need:

• White vinegar
• Washing up liquid
• Warm water
• Cold water
• Clean white cloth

Step 1: scrape excess lipstick

The first step to remove lipstick from carpet is using the edge of a butter knife or plastic spoon to gently scrape away any excess lipstick from the area. Be super careful and work from the outside in to avoid spreading the stain further. Use shallow movements to also avoid pressing the stain deeper into the carpet.

Step 2: treat the stain

Mix a tablespoon of washing-up liquid with a tablespoon of white vinegar and around 500ml of warm water. Dip your cloth into the mixture to dampen it and blot the stain. Repeat this process, moving to clean areas of the cloth until no more colour is absorbed and the stain disappears.

Step 3: rinse

The final step when lifting lipstick stains from carpet is to rinse the area by blotting with a fresh cloth dipped in cold water, before allowing it to air dry. Vacuum the area once dried to restore the original carpet pile’s appearance.

And that’s how to remove lipstick from carpet!

How to get makeup out of carpet (and other stains)

Now you’re armed with all the essentials you need to get makeup out of carpet you can get ready for your next day or night out with confidence, knowing that no amount of makeup stains can ruin your day again.

At Runrug, we want you to love the look of your carpet or rug runner for longer. That’s why we’ve created a series of helpful blogs tackling stains such as red wine, oil and chewing gum. Scroll down to see these recommended articles.

Do you know any further tried and tested tips on how to remove makeup from carpet that you’d like to share with us? Drop us a tip on our social media pages below and help everyone out!

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