- Searches for ‘how to remove foundation stains from carpet’, is up by +150% in the past 12 months.
- Tapi Carpets & Floors have teamed up with a cleaning expert to reveal how to remove beauty stains such as lipstick and mascara from your flooring without causing damage.
Accidents can happen, and despite our best efforts, beauty products can spill onto surfaces, including your flooring. Whether it’s nail polish drops, foundation smudges or other cosmetic products, these stains can be particularly stubborn and challenging to remove without causing damage.
With searches for ‘How to remove foundation stains from carpet’, up by +150% in the past 12 months, it seems many of us are seeking solutions to successful beauty spillage removal.
Luckily, the experts at Tapi Carpets & Floors have teamed up with cleaning expert Sarah Dempsey to share the correct hacks and products you need to effectively eliminate beauty stains from all types of flooring, without damage. From laminate to carpet, you’ll be able to restore the surfaces to their original state, and forget the spillage even happened.
Carpet
There’s nothing worse than dropping a beauty product on your carpet. To target the stain, you need to know what your carpet is made from. In general terms, polypropylene carpets are difficult to stain, but not impossible4. Polyester carpets are also good at repelling marks, whereas nylon stains very easily.
These basic solutions will save you from reaching for the nearest towel and scrubbing in panic.
Lipstick
Cleaning expert Sarah says, “Avoid rubbing the lipstick stain as this may push it into the fibres of the carpet. Blot up as much of the stain as you can with a clean cloth and apply a mixture of lukewarm water with a small amount of washing detergent and let this sit on the stain for five minutes. Use a dry cloth to dab the solution and apply some more water with a damp sponge. If your carpet is wool, then apply white vinegar and dab the stain further. Finally, use the dry cloth to blot the water up.”
You can also use WD40 directly on the stain, making sure to work from the outside in, ensure you give the floor a thorough vacuum after this has dried. Alternatively, purchase a carpet stain remover, with the instant foaming action, stains are drawn out in seconds and wiped away.
Foundation
If you carpet is made of synthetic fibres, you need to gently scoop as much foundation as you can using a kitchen towel. Then, grab some baking powder and sprinkle over to lift the oily base out of the carpet. Give the floor a good vacuum to remove any excess.
If the foundation remains, use WD40 and blot from the outside inwards, repeating the process until the stain is gone. You can also apply a small amount of washing detergent and warm water. Repeat this until most of the foundation stain has been removed, and then repeat with plain water to remove any residue. With wool carpets, leave for five minutes before blotting.
Mascara
For mascara, Sarah says, “Use a sponge to apply a mixture of lukewarm water and washing detergent to the mascara stain in a blotting motion. Rinse the stain with a clean cloth dipped in water and blot until the liquid is absorbed. If the stain remains, apply a carpet cleaner to a white cloth and blot the area until absorbed, before drying the area with a towel.
It’s important to allow the mascara stain to dry out, so you can pick up the chunkier residue. Give it a good vacuum and use washing up liquid on a damp cloth to gently blot from the outside in. if any mascara remains when dry, use sharp nail scissors to carefully snip the stain off the carpet before doing a final vacuum.
Nail varnish
For synthetic carpet, apply a small amount of nail varnish remover, and gently blot to lift the stain, repeat if required. For wool carpets, apply the remover and leave for 5 minutes before blotting. For both types, dry the treated area with a white cloth and using your hand or soft bristle brush, align the pile to one direction.
Smooth flooring
Smooth flooring might seem like an easy wipe away solution for beauty stains, however, you need to be aware of the potential damage. Ensure you use as little water as possible to remove a beauty stain on smooth flooring, as if exposed to too much, it can expand and damage over time.
If you spill beauty products such as foundation or nail polish on smooth flooring, first use a clean cloth and a spot cleaner. Ensure you keep the cleaner is just on the stain itself and then wipe away with a damp cloth to remove any residue.
For vinyl flooring, use a damp cloth or mop to blot the spillage, or move it across the beauty stain lengthways in a zig-zag motion without applying any pressure.
Sarah Dempsy finishes with, “If your beauty stain is truly set in, you should consult a professional cleaner, as rubbing the surface will only cause damage to the quality and longevity of your flooring.”
Johanna Constantinou, trends expert at Tapi adds: “With carpets, pre-test any cleaning agent on an inconspicuous area of the carpet before doing the whole section. I recommend testing your cleaner on a spare board, before you apply it to your smooth flooring to avoid damage.
The golden rule is to treat the stain as soon as possible after you’ve made it. If you leave a stain for any length of time, it’s usually harder to remove and more likely to leave a mark.”
