First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off excess makeup before you apply anything.
- Blot, don't rub, so the stain doesn't spread onto clean fabric.
- Work the oily part loose before you go near the color.
Makeup on sheets, such as lipstick or foundation, is a mix of oil, wax and color, so the oily part must lift before the pigment does. Fresh smears are much easier to clear than dried ones, and whether the sheets are colorfast decides if bleach is an option at all. Keep the first soak cold, since hot water can set a stain when you're not sure what's in it.
Makeup stains on bed sheets usually respond to an enzyme laundry pretreater worked in before the wash. Makeup stains on white sheets can take bleach, but check the care label first, since that decides whether it's an option. For colored sheets, an oxygen bleach powder is the product to reach for if you're not sure about bleach.
Before you start
What sheets, towels & table linens can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
4 items
What you'll need
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- Dish soap or laundry detergentLoosens the oily or waxy part of the makeup before any color comes out. (opens Amazon)
- All-fabric oxygen bleachHandles the color in the soak and the wash, and is the gentler choice for colors. (opens Amazon)
- A basin or tubKeeps the stained area submerged for the soak without soaking the whole sheet. (opens Amazon)
- A clean white clothBlots the stain and picks up loosened makeup without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
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5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 5
Scrape off the excess makeup
Lift off the loose makeup with the back of a spoon or a dull knife edge, working from the outside of the stain toward the center. Only lift it, and don't press the makeup deeper into the fibers. Stop when only the stained area is left.
Tip. Use a blunt edge rather than a blade so you don't cut the weave.
Step 2 of 5
Loosen the oily part with dish soap
Put a small drop of dish soap or laundry detergent on the stain, then work it in gently with your fingers from the outside edge toward the center. This loosens the oily or waxy part, which has to come out before the color will. Let it sit while you fill the basin for the soak.
Careful. Don't use bar soap on a fresh stain; soap sets many stains.
Step 3 of 5
Soak the stain in oxygen bleach
For a larger stain, mix 1 quart of water with 1 cap-full of all-fabric oxygen bleach and soak the stained area in it for up to 60 minutes. Test a hidden spot on the sheet first, because colors can change.
Careful. Don't leave the soak longer than 60 minutes; unstable dyes can change color or fade.
Step 4 of 5
Wash on the hottest setting
Wash the sheets on the hottest water setting the care label recommends. Use your usual detergent along with the all-fabric oxygen bleach, so the wash finishes what the soak started.
Step 5 of 5
Check the spot before drying
Once the wash finishes, look at the spot in good light before the sheets go anywhere near heat. If any stain is left, repeat the process from the dish soap step.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for makeup on sheets, towels & table linens
An all-fabric oxygen bleach covers the color step, and a basic dish soap or laundry detergent handles the oily part.
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover - Free & Clear
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on sheets, towels & table linens, 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 before using any heat. 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.
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
Makeup should lighten during the soak, and a clean cloth pressed on the spot after rinsing should pick up no more color. Check it while the sheet is still damp, in daylight, and if a faint shadow remains, repeat the wash and keep the sheet out of the dryer until it's gone.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
Makeup on bed sheets
Bed sheets are big, so the soak is easier in a tub or basin than in a sink, with only the stained part under the water. Makeup often marks more than one spot on a sheet, so give each mark the dish soap step before the soak.
Work through the spots one at a time so none get missed. Check each one in good light before the wash goes on.
Makeup on white sheets
White sheets show leftover color more clearly, so the check after the wash matters more than it would on a patterned set. Chlorine bleach is only an option when the care label allows it and the sheets pass a bleachability test on a hidden area.
If you use it, make it the last step, after everything else is fully rinsed out. Otherwise, the all-fabric oxygen bleach from the soak and wash stays your main color step, since it is the gentler choice.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old makeup is harder than a fresh mark because it has dried into the fibers and held on longer. Start with the dish soap step again, then give the soak its full 60 minutes before you judge the result.
If the sheet has already been through the dryer, the heat has likely set the color, so expect more than one round. Repeat the oily-part step first, then the soak, since the color won't lift while the grease is still there.
Stop bleaching after 15 minutes if the color hasn't started to lift, because a dye stain that doesn't come out in that time won't come out by bleaching. If the mark is still visible after a few rounds, the realistic goal is a faded spot rather than an invisible one.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on makeup on sheets, towels & table linens?
You'll see many home fixes for makeup, and most of them don't suit sheets. Dish soap and an oxygen bleach soak do the main work, and the rest help only in narrow cases.
Works2Helps1Skip3
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Rubbing alcohol
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
If they mix by accident: Don't use the mixture; ventilate the room and avoid breathing fumes or touching it; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for disposal advice or if anyone feels unwell.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use acetone nail-polish remover
Acetone dissolves acetate, triacetate and modacrylic, and you may not know which fiber your sheets are. Skip it on any sheet with an unknown fiber, because it can dissolve the fabric.
Don't use chlorine bleach on silk, wool or spandex
Chlorine bleach can damage these fibers, and spandex elastic in fitted sheets is especially vulnerable. Chlorine is only for colorfast sheets whose label allows it, and only as the final step.
Don't rub bar soap into a fresh smear
Bar soap sets many stains instead of lifting them, so it's the wrong tool on fresh makeup. Work a little dish soap or detergent in from the outside in so the oil doesn't spread.
Don't leave a pretreatment on past the label time
Liquid and aerosol pretreatments can fade or change the color of bright or fluorescent fabric if they sit more than a few minutes. Check the label, and rinse the sheet before it goes into the wash.
Don't reach for milk on a makeup mark
Milk is an old remedy that adds a protein stain on top of the makeup or sets what's already there. Skip it and use the cold soak and oxygen bleach instead.
When to call a professional
A dry cleaner is the right call if the mark covers a big area, or if the sheet is dry-clean only or a delicate fiber that can't take a wash. Give them the fiber content and the makeup type, and mention any bleach you've already used.
Questions
What if I don't know what my sheets are made of?
Treat the fiber as unknown rather than guessing. Test the dish soap and oxygen bleach on a hidden spot, and skip acetone and chlorine until the label or fiber content confirms what is safe.
Do pillowcases need the same steps as a sheet?
Yes, the same steps work. A pillowcase is small enough to soak in a basin without folding, so the 60-minute soak is simpler.
Will makeup come out of white sheets completely?
Often, once the oily part is cleared first. Check the spot in good light after washing, since any color left on white fabric shows up clearly.
Can I use my regular detergent instead of oxygen bleach?
Detergent handles the oily part in the first step and the wash. The oxygen bleach is the added step for the color, so use both if a stain is left after the first round.
Does one wash usually take the stain out?
Sometimes, and it depends on how old and heavy the mark is. Check the spot after the wash, and if any of it remains, repeat the process from the dish soap step.
Is hot water safe for white sheets with makeup on them?
Only after the stain is gone. Cotton and linen tolerate the highest setting the tag lists, but any makeup still in the fabric can set under heat, so run the cold soak first and check the spot while it's damp.
Can I use bleach on colored sheets that have makeup on them?
A colored sheet can take oxygen bleach far more safely than chlorine. Chlorine goes only on colorfast fabric whose label allows it, and a patch test on a hidden seam comes before anything else.
Can I let makeup-stained sheets sit in an enzyme soak overnight?
Yes, an enzyme presoak can sit overnight, and it's a sensible option for an old or dried mark that an hour-long soak didn't shift. Keep the water cool, rinse out the soak before washing, and check the spot once the sheet is damp.
Makeup on other materials
Other stains on sheets, towels & table linens
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.