Stain file № 2621 · Beauty · Leather and suede
How to get lipstick out of suede
Scrape off the excess; dab with alcohol; repeat the powder, then brush. Never soap and water or oxygen bleach. A specialist one on suede: expect more than one round.
- Editorial difficulty
- Specialist
- Estimated hands-on
- 15 min + 8 h waiting
- It sets
- with heat
- Kit
- 2 items + 3 tools
01 The short answer
To get lipstick out of suede, work in this order: (1) scrape off the excess; (2) dab with alcohol; (3) repeat the powder, then brush. On suede, skip soap and water and oxygen bleach: liquid soap leaves water marks in suede; dry methods come first. Test rubbing alcohol on a hidden spot first. Once dry, brush with a suede brush in one direction and use a suede eraser on any shadow.
Consult a professional experienced with this material. The difficulty rating does not establish that a home method will work.
02 Never do this
- Soap and water. Liquid soap leaves water marks in suede; dry methods come first.
- Oxygen bleach (OxiClean-type powder). It will bleach and stiffen suede.
- Rubbing or scrubbing. It spreads the stain and grinds it deeper; blot instead.
- Hot water. It melts wax deeper into the fibres.
- The dryer before it is gone. Dryer heat locks in whatever is left. Air-dry and check first.
- Ironing over it. Heat browns leftover sugar and melts wax deeper into the fibres.
- Soaking it with water. Suede dries to a darker ring wherever it was wet.
03 Before you start
- Use white cloths or paper towels only: coloured ones can transfer their own dye into suede.
- Start with manufacturer-approved dry care. Do not assume a water, vinegar or alcohol treatment is suitable for the hide or dye.
- Rubbing alcohol: flammable: no open flames, and let it evaporate before using heat.
- Rubbing alcohol: never mix with chlorine bleach (chloroform and other toxic compounds).
- Pretest every permitted treatment on an inconspicuous area, including trims, and let it dry. Stop for colour transfer, lightening, rings, stiffness or distortion. A successful spot test does not guarantee the whole item is safe.
04 The method
Scrape off the excess
Lift any solids or excess with a spoon or the dull edge of a knife, scooping towards the centre. Do not press down: you want it off the suede, not into it.
Why it works: Every bit of solid removed now is pigment and fat that never soaks in.
2 min hands-on
Dab with alcohol
Dab rubbing alcohol onto the stain with a cotton pad or white cloth, then blot with a dry cloth; the ink transfers to the cloth. Change to a clean area each time. Do not pour it on. Let it dry, then brush the nap.
Why it works: Lipstick dissolves in alcohol but not water, and alcohol evaporates before it can soak the backing.
6 min hands-on
Repeat the powder, then brush
Give it another round of cornstarch overnight, then brush with a suede brush and work any remaining mark with a suede eraser. If a shadow persists, a suede cleaner is the next step.
Why it works: On suede, every liquid risks a ring; powder and friction are the safe tools.
5 min hands-on · 8 h waiting
Brush the nap
Once dry, brush with a suede brush in one direction and use a suede eraser on any shadow.
Why it works: Brushing lifts the nap and blends the cleaned area in.
2 min hands-on
Test first: rubbing alcohol on suede. Always start dry: brush, suede eraser, then powder. Liquids come last and only in tiny amounts.
05 Dried, set, or back again?
- On suede, an old mark responds to repeated brushing and the suede eraser over several days; liquids will not help a set stain.
- Old oil has partly oxidised and gone sticky; apply the degreasing step two or three times, and give powder an overnight stay where it is used.
Assess the mark only once the item has dried according to its care instructions. If it remains, do not keep repeating or strengthening treatment; obtain advice for the exact material and product.
06 What lipstick is made of
- Pigment particles
- Wax
- Oil and fat
- Dye
Lipstick can contain pigment particles that do not dissolve readily in water. Many must be lifted with an appropriate cleaner rather than relying on bleach. Avoid grinding particles into the material; pigment chemistry and product formulas vary.
Lipstick contains wax, which is solid at room temperature. Cold makes it brittle enough to snap off; gentle heat melts it so it can be drawn into paper.
The oily part of lipstick will not dissolve in water at all. It needs a surfactant such as dish soap, or a solvent, to break it up, and a dry powder can draw fresh oil out before you start.
Lipstick carries dye that soaks into fibres rather than sitting on them. Depending on the dye, alcohol dissolves it, oxygen bleach breaks it down, or sunlight fades it, and speed matters more than strength.
- Lipstick is wax, oil and pigment, and long-wear formulas add dyes designed to stain skin. On fabric, that dye is what stays after the wax is gone.
- Heat melts lipstick wax and carries the pigment deeper, so ironing or tumble-drying over a trace makes it permanent.
07 The material: suede and nubuck
Suede should not get wet at all if you can help it: work with solvents, powders and brushes.
No rubbing at all; every step is a press-and-lift.
No soaking, so each treatment is applied, given a few minutes, and blotted away.
What this file leaves out because of the material:
- Soap and water. Liquid soap leaves water marks in suede; dry methods come first.
- Oxygen bleach (OxiClean-type powder). It will bleach and stiffen suede.
- Suede is the brushed inner side of a hide, with no protective topcoat, so liquids soak straight in.
- A pencil eraser or suede eraser lifts surface dirt by friction without any liquid at all.
The suede and nubuck file rates every common cleaner for it.
08 Next time
Blot lipstick on a tissue before putting tops on over your head, and check pockets for lipsticks before every wash and dry.
09 Questions
Can I use hot water on lipstick on suede?
No. It melts wax deeper into the fibres. Keep to cold water until the stain is completely gone.
Does vinegar help with lipstick on suede?
It is not needed for lipstick. Vinegar is a mild acid that helps with tannin and mineral residue; lipstick responds better to rubbing alcohol and cornstarch.
Can I use bleach on lipstick?
Not chlorine bleach on suede: it leaves permanent pale blotches on suede.
Will lipstick come out of suede completely?
Consult a professional experienced with this material. The difficulty rating does not establish that a home method will work.
When should I call a professional?
Suede jackets and anything where water has already left a ring. For this stain in particular, a professional cleaner (tell them it is lipstick) has solvents and spotting agents that home kits do not.
What if it has already dried?
On suede, an old mark responds to repeated brushing and the suede eraser over several days; liquids will not help a set stain. Old oil has partly oxidised and gone sticky; apply the degreasing step two or three times, and give powder an overnight stay where it is used.