http://www.europeanopticalsociety.org/CommentingController/rss/SiteTree/12108 CommentingController/rss/SiteTree/12108 http://www.europeanopticalsociety.org/dr-laundry/when-to-add-bleach/#comment-803 How to remove lipstick stains from carpet. Fri, 24 May 2013 15:57:36 -0700 Marcia Richburg http://www.europeanopticalsociety.org/dr-laundry/when-to-add-bleach/#comment-803 http://www.europeanopticalsociety.org/dr-laundry/when-to-add-bleach/#comment-804 Stains on carpet are a huge problem because if you don’t completely remove whatever you use to treat the stain, the treated area will end up a dirt magnet, so be sure you are very thorough with your clean up. They are also harder to deal with because you can’t work from the back of the fabric the way you can with garments, but with careful attention, you should be successful. Begin by gently scraping away the excess stain if you can (just don’t push it into the fabric at the same time). Lipstick stains have both oily and color components—work on the oily components first. Dampen a (preferably white) wash cloth with warm water and then apply a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent to the wash cloth. Gently apply this to the stain—it will begin dissolving the oil. Don’t force it in or rub it in—you need to avoid pushing the stain into the carpet fibers as you work on it. With a second dry wash cloth, blot the treated stain as you go. Continue to repeat this while rotating the washcloths so you always are using a clean section. This avoids reapplying the stain! Once you are no longer absorbing any lipstick off the carpet, pre-treat the remaining stained area with Clorox2® Laundry Stain Remover spray, or a carpet stain remover spray. After you apply the spray, wait 5 minutes (for Clorox2® spray—otherwise follow manufacturer’s instructions) and then flush the stained area thoroughly with water—use more clean white wash cloths or larger white towels to blot up the water as you go. When you are finished, wash all the white washcloths in hot water using detergent + ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. Hopefully this will work for you, but depending on how severe the stain is, it might be better to call in a professional carpet cleaner who can use a solvent to address the lipstick and an extraction cleaner to efficiently flush the stain from the carpet. If your carpet has not been recently cleaned or the stain is in a high traffic area, you could end up with a noticeable clean spot, making it a good idea to clean the entire room as well. Good luck! Fri, 24 May 2013 15:57:36 -0700 Dr. Laundry http://www.europeanopticalsociety.org/dr-laundry/when-to-add-bleach/#comment-804