Interior Detailing Tips: Removing Makeup Stains

Removing makeup stains from a vehicle’s interior must be done with care. This task can sometimes be accomplished easily, but other times it can take a little more effort or even a particularly important.

It’s key that you do your research before you tackle it, though, so you’re absolutely sure that you won’t damage your upholstery with harsh, aggressive chemicals.

As you can imagine, there are a few tips and tricks for the process you use to help expedite it and we’re here to help you master them!

1) Treat the Stain Right Away

Most cosmetics have oily substances in them and those substances oxidize when they’re left in the open air; you want to make sure you treat those right away to minimize damage.

Another reason you should treat it right away is the tendency of certain cosmetic products to seep deeply into the fabrics, making them almost impossible to remove without pre-treating.

2) Don’t Overthink It

If the cosmetic staining the fabric is water-based and doesn’t contain oily substances, you don’t need anything more than a soft sponge dipped in a warm soap/water solution.

Gently rub the affected area with the soft sponge covered in your warm soap/water solution until the stain is gone.

3) Ammonia Could Help

If you have a particularly difficult stain with which to contend, you can pre-treat it with a soft cotton pad that you’ve dipped in a 10% ammonia solution, applying it gently and letting it sit for a few minutes.

Next, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on top of the stain; let that sit for a couple of minutes more, then clean it off using the method described in tip two.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to apply too much pressure on the upholstery fabric because some are particularly delicate, causing you to further complicate your problem unwittingly.

4) Synthetic Fabric is a Little Different

If your car’s interior is upholstered with a synthetic fabric, use a cotton pad dipped in hot water and a delicate cleaning product first but only where the stain is. Rub the stained area gently with a wet sponge or towel.

This method can prove particularly useful for pale-colored fabrics, but not so useful with brightly-colored fabrics.

5) Tackling Lipstick Stains

Lipsticks are one of those cosmetics notorious for having oily substances in them, making them difficult to remove, only worse, they’re pigmented. While these stains are tricky, they aren’t impossible to remove. If you apply several drops of dishwashing detergent to the stain and gently rub it with a soft sponge or brush, you should be able to accomplish the task.

6) Removing Liquid Foundation

Liquid foundation, like lipstick, can be particularly difficult to remove from upholstery.

If you use an old toothbrush to apply a mild cleaning detergent directly to the stain, rubbing gently with a clean sponge dipped in warm water until the stained area gets smaller, you can remove the stain simply.

You can also use a standard wet wipe instead of a sponge if that’s what you have available.

7) Treating Nail Polish Stains

Nail polish is one of the toughest stains to remove; you must handle the task with extreme care and attention.

Make sure you don’t rub the surface of your interior upholstery, but rather try to absorb the polish into a towel if it’s still damp; if you rub, you’ll only make the stain worse.

Once you’ve absorbed all you can, it’s time to try a little acetone (nail polish remover). Using an old towel (because it will get stained with the nail polish) dipped in acetone, press on the stain, but do not rub.

Your best bet is to press and absorb. Once the polish is paler, replace your acetone-soaked towel with a dry one and resume pressing to ensure that the substance absorbs into the towel, rather than more acetone absorbing into your upholstery.

It may take more than one attempt, but this should do the trick. If your interior is upholstered with a delicate fabric or leather, do not use acetone.

If you’re still struggling to remove pesky stains from cosmetics, give us a call at 800-557-5134. Our expert technicians will remove your stains with ease and have your vehicle looking good as new as quickly as possible. You can also request an appointment here.