My youngest daughter has a fascination for make-up and anything girlie, she loves to watch me putting on make-up and I will often find my jewellery draped all over her. Despite stern warning it also means that from time to time she gets hold of my lipstick, mascara or foundation and creates a gory mess.
If you have witnessed a similar scene, or had the misfortune of trampling your makeup into the carpet floor we have a few cleaning tricks up our sleeves that should help you out. Speed is of the essence, the longer the spill is on the carpet, the more it will penetrate into the carpet fibres creating a mark that is more difficult to remove.
Warning: The probability of removing a makeup stain has a lot to do with the type of makeup and how long it has been there. Most make-up products are oil based and can be broken down with isopropyl alcohol, otherwise known as surgical spirit or rubbing alcohol. Always use a clean, dry, colourfast cloth otherwise a stain may transfer from the cloth to the carpet.
We suggest the following process to remove make-up stains:
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Step 1:
If possible, remove the excess from the stain by scrapping it away with a blunt knife or a spoon. It’s important to do as quickly as possible to prevent further penetration.
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Step 2:
Apply isopropyl alcohol to a clean white cotton cloth (or a cotton swab for small stains). Carefully dab at the stained fibres, placing downward pressure on the fibre. Do not rub the stain as this may spread the stain.
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Step 3:
Clean at the stain using a dry, clean cloth or white paper towels, and repeat the process until you no longer see any colour on your tissue or cloth. Be sure to limit how much alcohol you apply. If it soaks through the carpet to the backing it can cause damage to the latex glue that bonds the carpet fibres to the backing.
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Step 4:
Rinse the carpet with water by dampening the area with a wet sponge. Once done, gently pat dry.
Step 5:
If a stain remains, use Electro 3 stain remover. Squirt directly onto the stain and wipe off with a white cloth (repeat 2 to 3 times following instructions on the bottle).
Another suggestion is to use a mild generic carpet stain remover and follow the instructions on the bottle. Or alternatively mix a few drops of dish washing cleaner (fragrance free) with 250ml of warm water of water and apply this several times. Never rub hard. Just gently work the mixture in and blot it up repeatedly. Once done rinse again with cold water and pat dry.
Create airflow with a fan to speed up the drying time. After the carpet has dried completely vacuum the spot where the stain was.
Following our procedures will minimise the impact of the stain and should remove the majority of staining. If these steps don’t work, you will need to call professional carpet cleaners. E-Dry is usually able to remove make-up stains as long as the dye in the make-up is not a permanent dye.
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