First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape or lift off excess makeup before you apply anything.
- Blot, don't rub or brush, and work from the edges in.
- Remove the oily or waxy part first, before you work on the color.
- Test any remover on a hidden spot, and skip acetone on acetate, triacetate and modacrylic.
Makeup on carpet is a blend of oil, wax and pigment, and the greasy layer has to come up before the color can follow it. Carpet makes this harder because the pile holds color, and too much liquid can push the stain down toward the padding. A fresh spot responds well to patient blotting, while makeup that has dried into the fibers may fade without ever disappearing.
Mascara out of carpet tends to smudge when you rub, so press and lift instead. Eyeshadow out of carpet usually has a dry powder layer, so brush that off before any liquid goes on. Foundation out of carpet is best handled with a spot cleaner, and a few light passes beat one hard scrub.
Before you start
What carpet & rugs can take
Use with care6
- Water
- Hot water
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Heat, once the stain is out
Avoid3
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Scrubbing and abrasives
8 items
What you'll need
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- White cloths or white paper towelsShow when color is still transferring, so you know when to stop. (opens Amazon)
- Rounded spoonLifts semi-solid makeup without digging into the pile.
- VacuumClears broken-up solids before any liquid goes on.
- Non-flammable spot remover or dry-cleaning-type solventLoosens the oily or waxy part of the makeup. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid dish soapMakes the mild detergent mix for the color step. (opens Amazon)
- Measuring spoon and cupKeeps the mix at 1/4 teaspoon per cup of lukewarm water.
- Mist sprayerKeeps rinse water light so the carpet doesn't soak through. (opens Amazon)
- 3% hydrogen peroxideOnly for stains that stay after cleaning, as the set-in section describes. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Scrape off the excess
Act now, because delay can turn the spill into a permanent stain. Lift solid makeup with a rounded spoon, and break up anything hard so you can vacuum it before any liquid touches it.
Step 2 of 6
Blot up the wet makeup
Press a dry white cloth or white paper towel onto the spot to pull up the wet makeup. Work from the outer edge toward the center, and keep the cloth moving so the color doesn't transfer back.
Tip. Switch to a clean section of cloth each time color shows on it.
Step 3 of 6A few minutes
Loosen the oily part with solvent
Pretest a non-flammable spot remover or dry-cleaning-type solvent on a hidden spot first. Dab a small amount onto a white cloth and work it into the stain from the edges inward, then let it sit a few minutes before blotting. Keep going until the cloth stops picking up color.
Careful. Never pour solvent onto the carpet or let it reach the backing, and keep flame and sparks away while you work.
Step 4 of 6
Work in the mild detergent mix
Mix 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish soap into 1 cup of lukewarm water. Dab a small amount onto a fresh white cloth and blot the stain from the edges toward the center, repeating until the color stops coming up.
Careful. Don't go stronger than this mix, even if the color is slow to lift.
Step 5 of 6
Rinse with lukewarm water
Mist the spot lightly with lukewarm tap water so the carpet doesn't get soaked. Blot with paper towels after each rinse, and expect several rinses before the towel comes up clean.
Careful. Incomplete rinsing leaves residue, and that makes carpet soil faster.
Step 6 of 6
Finish with a dry blot
Press a dry white cloth onto the spot until no more moisture comes up. If color still transfers to the cloth, go back to the solvent pass and work through the detergent mix and rinse again.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for makeup on carpet & rugs
Keep a non-flammable spot remover or dry-cleaning-type solvent approved for carpet on hand, and pretest it before use. A stain stick can help with the oily part, but it doesn't replace the solvent pass.
Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover
Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover
Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels
Empty Spray Bottles 16oz/4Pack
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on carpet & rugs, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
On carpet, you're making progress when the cloth picks up pigment and the spot gets paler between passes. Check it once the carpet is fully dry, by lifting the pile and looking from an angle, since wet fibers can hide a faint mark. If the cloth comes up clean and a faint outline stays after several rinses, the makeup has bonded, and the set-in fixes are next.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your carpet & rugs
Mascara
Mascara is in the oily and waxy group, so the solvent pass does most of the work. Expect black to show up on the cloth for several passes.
Keep switching to a clean section of cloth so the black doesn't smear across the carpet. Once the cloth stays clean, move on to the detergent mix.
Eyeshadow
Eye shadow is grouped with oily and waxy makeup, so the solvent comes first. The colored powder then needs the detergent mix to lift what the solvent leaves.
Dry powder should be scraped or vacuumed before any liquid goes on. Keep dabbing until the color stops transferring to the cloth.
Foundation
Foundation can be water-based or oil-based, and you often can't tell which by looking. Treat the oily part first anyway, starting with the solvent pass on a white cloth.
The color can take several dabs in the detergent mix, so be patient. Keep the mix at its set strength, even when the color is slow to lift.
Eyeliner
Liquid and gel eyeliner are grouped with oily and waxy makeup, so the solvent comes first. Pencil eyeliner is waxy too, so the solvent does the work there as well.
Work the solvent into the line gently with a white cloth rather than a brush, and keep moving to fresh cloth. Once the line stops transferring, finish with the detergent mix and rinses.
Blush
Rouge and face powder are grouped with oily and waxy makeup, so the solvent still comes first. The detergent mix then handles the color that remains.
Work in small sections from the edge in so the color doesn't spread to clean carpet. Vacuum up any loose powder before you start.
Concealer, primer, and powder
Concealer and primer are liquid makeup, so the solvent pass still goes first. Powder is different because it has to be lifted off dry.
Scrape or vacuum loose powder before any liquid touches it. Then treat any creamy residue the same way as the other makeup.
Halloween and kids' makeup
Halloween and kids' face paint is still makeup, so the same order applies: lift it, use the solvent, work the detergent mix, then rinse. Thick or greasy face paint may need more solvent passes than regular makeup.
Pretest a hidden spot first, since face paints vary in what they're made of. Keep the solvent on the cloth rather than the carpet, and blot instead of rubbing.
Eyeliner and mascara together
Both are in the oily and waxy group, so the solvent pass handles them together. Use fresh areas of the white cloth for each pass so the black doesn't spread.
Once the black stops transferring, the detergent mix takes care of what the solvent left. Don't stop early; keep blotting until both colors are gone.
White, cream, or wool carpet
On light carpet, any color left behind will show, so check the cloth often and keep going until it stays clean. Pretest the solvent in a hidden spot first, every time.
On wool, chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach are both out, so stick to the solvent, the detergent mix and lukewarm rinses. If you're not sure whether the carpet is wool, use only those same steps.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old makeup has had longer to bond with the carpet, so it needs more passes than a fresh spot. Stains get harder to remove the longer they sit, so don't wait on it.
Dried makeup needs the solvent pass to soften it before you lift anything, so dab the solvent on a white cloth and let it sit a few minutes. Keep repeating the solvent pass until nothing more lifts onto the cloth, then work through the detergent mix and a rinse.
If color remains after cleaning, moisten the tufts with 3% hydrogen peroxide and leave it for one hour before blotting. Repeat that treatment if needed, and expect some faint color on old stains even after several rounds.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on makeup on carpet & rugs?
Plenty of home fixes float around for makeup. Most are meant for fabric or hard surfaces, so I only keep the remedies that match the steps on carpet.
Works1Helps1Skip4
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use heat on the spot
Heat sets makeup deeper into carpet, so keep dryers, irons and hot water away until the color is gone. Wait until the carpet is fully clean before you use any heat near it.
Don't mix removers together
Two products mixed on the same spot can give off hazardous fumes, so use one at a time. If you switch products, rinse the area thoroughly between them.
Don't pour solvent onto the carpet
Solvent poured straight onto the pile can dissolve carpet materials and soak through to the backing. Put a few drops on a white cloth and dab with that instead, after testing a hidden corner first.
Don't make the detergent mix stronger
A heavier mix doesn't clean faster, it just leaves more residue in the fibers. That leftover soap attracts dirt, so the spot can darken again sooner than you'd expect.
Don't stop rinsing too early
Detergent left in the pile is a common reason a cleaned spot turns dark again later on. Rinse with lukewarm water several times, blotting dry between rinses, until the cloth stops showing soap.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The spot spreads into a larger ring
Too much liquid was used. Blot firmly with dry white towels, then continue with smaller amounts, working from the outer edge inward.
The spot reappears after drying
Residue is wicking up from deeper fibers. Rinse again with lukewarm water using the mist sprayer, blot well and lay a weighted stack of paper towels on top while it dries.
The area feels stiff or gets dirty fast
Detergent residue remains. Rinse several more times with lukewarm water, blotting after each rinse.
The carpet color changed during testing
Stop and call a professional carpet cleaner rather than continuing with that product.
When to call a professional
Call a carpet cleaner if your test spot changes color, or if the makeup has ground into a large section of pile. Give them the type of makeup, roughly how long it has been there, and the results of any test you ran.
Questions
Can I use hot water to speed things up?
Not for home spot work. Cold or lukewarm water is the right temperature for lifting makeup, and hot water can set it deeper.
Can I use nail polish remover on carpet?
Not as a pour-on. Acetone-based remover can dissolve acetate, triacetate and modacrylic fabrics, and solvents in general can dissolve carpet materials and damage the backing. If you don't know the fiber, skip it and use the solvent pass on a white cloth, tested in a hidden spot first.
Is hydrogen peroxide safe on carpet?
Yes, but only in the 3% drugstore strength and only for stains that stay after cleaning. Test it on a hidden spot first, especially on colored carpet that isn't colorfast.
What if I don't know what my carpet is made of?
Don't guess. Stick to the solvent pass, the detergent mix and lukewarm rinses, and test a hidden spot first. Never use chlorine bleach on carpet.
Should I vacuum before I start?
Yes, if the makeup is solid, dry or powdery. Vacuum up loose powder and broken pieces before any liquid touches them, so the color doesn't spread.
Can I use laundry detergent on a makeup spot in carpet?
No. Laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent can both contain bleaching agents that strip carpet dye, so they're out even for a small spot. A mild dish soap mixed into lukewarm water is the right choice, followed by a thorough rinse.
How do I dry the spot once it's clean?
Press a stack of dry white towels onto the spot and set something heavy on top for a few hours. Replace the towels when they feel damp, then lift the pile with your fingertips once it's dry so the fibers stand up evenly.
How strong can a cleaner be on carpet?
Keep any cleaner below a pH of 10, and never go past the concentration on the label. Stronger alkaline mixes can damage carpet dye and the backing, so a weak soap solution is the safer first choice.
Makeup on other materials
Other stains on carpet & rugs
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.