Lipstick can be a frustrating staying to get a t-shirt. One reason that can be so frustrating is that it’s an embarrassing stain to have on a shirt. Once you have lipstick on a t-shirt, your first instinct is probably to get rid of it as soon as possible, and your instincts are correct. The quicker you can get it out, the more complete a removal job will be able to do.

Rubbing alcohol is extremely useful for getting rid of lipstick stains. The key to using rubbing alcohol properly is to use just enough to get the job done without causing an additional stain in the fabric. Put a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth and use it to dab gently at the lipstick stain. Never rub harshly at the fabric or you risk damaging the fibers. Keep dabbing lightly until you see some of the lipstick begin to come away from the t-shirt. Repeat this process with a different part of the cloth in order to keep lipstick from getting back onto the t-shirt.

If the rubbing alcohol doesn’t get all the lipstick out of the t-shirt, there are a few other ways to get the job done. Dishwashing detergent is a good, inexpensive way to get the stain out. Put a little bit of liquid dishwashing soap onto your finger and rub it gently across the lipstick stain. You may want to try rubbing the fabric against itself several times in order to get the dishwashing detergent deep into the fibers. Let the dishwashing detergent soak into the t-shirt for little while before rinsing it out with cold water. Rub the fabric against itself under the cold running water for the best results.

Another quick method is to use a pre-treating stain stick. These are specifically made for treating stubborn stains that may not come out in the wash without special treatment. To use these, choose either a stick or a spray pre-treating detergent. When using a spray, lay the fabric on top of a towel and spray the pre-treating soap directly onto the stain. Let the spray sit in the fabric until you see results. If you choose a stain stick, rub it gently into the stain until you see that it is coating all of the lipstick that is still on the t-shirt. Allow it to sit on the shirt until you can see that some of the lipstick is gone.

No matter which type of pre-treatment detergent you use, the t-shirt must be washed after the treatment. The pre-treating stain may not get rid of all of the lipstick, but there is still hope. If any is left behind, washing it in the washing machine may take the rest of it out. Just be sure to use cold water in the wash or you may set the stain into the fabric. If you remove your t-shirt from the wash and there is still some lipstick left, repeat these procedures again and you may find that your t-shirt looks as good as it did before your lipstick troubles.