Washing makeup of your face is a lot easier than trying to remove a smudge of it out of your clothing! Once the makeup stain sets within the fabric of a garment it doesn’t generally come out in the regular wash cycle and the piece of expensive clothing results in being another designer dusting rag. Nevertheless, there are a few inside tricks for removing makeup which will keep you looking the very best when you walk out the door and enable you to get the most from your attire for a longer time. Consumer Reports, the world’s largest independent product-testing organization, shared some magical tips in its May 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine on how to prevent and remove makeup stains and deodorant marks from your clothes in an instant! Try the techniques listed below the next time a makeup stain tries to put a dent in your day and ruin your wardrobe!
Makeup Removing Secrets
Prevent a stain. It might look silly, but putting a polyester scarf over your head before pulling on a dress or top can prevent makeup and hairspray stains in the first place. It won’t muss your hair and it helps tight stuff slide on easily. Or spring for a reusable nylon makeup mask, which costs about $4 at most drugstores.
Nix deodorant marks. To remove those unsightly white streaks from your little black dress or other clothing before they set in, you can buy special texturized sponges made just for the job. Or grab that pair of ripped panty hose you were going to toss and use it to rub away the marks. No panty hose? Try a nylon sock or a used dryer sheet.
Sponge it up. The foam that often comes on hangers from the dry cleaner can also lift deodorant marks and foundation. Wrap the foam around a finger, then press and gently brush on the stain to lift it without smearing. Still there? Hit it with diluted Dawn blue dishwashing detergent. Simply work it in with a toothbrush and rinse.
Dab it away. To remove foundation from garments, blot up any excess, then dip a cotton swab in alcohol and gently dab the stain from the inside. Repeat until the stain is gone or there’s just a tiny trace, then launder or dry-clean the garment. If the fabric is washable, cover the stain with a laundry pretreatment product. Resolve Laundry Liquid aced our recent tests.
Blow it off. If a dusting of face powder, eye shadow, or even the powdery sugar from a doughnut ends up on your outfit, try blowing it off with a hair dryer. Don’t wet it; that could drive the powder deeper in. If the blow-dryer doesn’t get it all out, toss the garment in the wash or take it to a dry cleaner.
Take a powder. To remove lipstick from a white collar, sprinkle baby powder on it to absorb the oils, then cover it with a clean cloth and run a warm, dry iron over it. It will come right up like the melted wax off a tablecloth. A dusting of baby powder helps lift oily gunk from faux fur, too. Sprinkle the area, put the garment in a cool dryer, and the stain will fluff off.
If you like these tips pick up your own copy of ShopSmart! The magazine has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org.
