How to Get Mascara Off Clothes

For most washable clothes, lift off any excess mascara, pretreat the mark with liquid laundry detergent for about 15 minutes, then wash according to the care label. Do not machine-dry the garment until the stain is gone.

Mascara contains oils, waxes and colorants, so both greasy residue and dark pigment may remain. Waterproof and long-wear formulas can require more than one treatment.

What you need

• A spoon or dull-edged card
• White paper towels or a clean white cloth
• Liquid laundry detergent or a prewash stain remover
• A soft toothbrush, optional for sturdy fabric
• Oxygen-based laundry bleach, optional and only if permitted

Remove mascara from washable clothing

1. Read the care label. Follow its washing temperature, cycle and bleach restrictions. In the US, manufacturers must provide care instructions that will cause no substantial harm when followed and warn against harmful procedures, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Care Labeling Rule guidance.

2. Lift off excess mascara. Use the edge of a spoon or card to lift a blob or dried crust without grinding it into the weave. Do not smear a wet deposit. Blot lightly with a white towel if needed.

3. Put a clean towel behind the stain. Work from the back when practical, replacing or repositioning the towel as it picks up color. Kentucky Cooperative Extension recommends working from the wrong side, avoiding rubbing and changing the absorbent pad so released soil is not reabsorbed (stain-removal guidance).

4. Pretreat with liquid laundry detergent. Apply enough to cover the mark and work it in gently with a fingertip. On sturdy fabric, you can use a soft toothbrush without scrubbing hard. Leave the detergent for about 15 minutes unless its label specifies another time. The American Cleaning Institute recommends detergent or prewash treatment for cosmetic stains, while Tide’s mascara instructions specify a 15-minute detergent pretreatment.

5. Rinse, then wash by the label. Use the warmest water permitted by the garment’s care label—not automatically hot water. Wash separately or with similar colors if loose dark pigment remains.

6. Inspect while damp and air-dry. If you still see a gray, brown or oily shadow, repeat the pretreatment. ACI advises keeping stained clothing out of the dryer until the mark is removed because drying can make the residue harder to treat.

If waterproof mascara remains

Repeat the detergent treatment first. The oily and waxy portion of mascara can behave much like an oil stain, and a second treatment may lift residue left after the first wash.

If only pigment remains and the care label permits non-chlorine bleach, use an oxygen-based laundry bleach exactly as its label directs. First test the product on an inconspicuous seam. Concentrations and soak times vary, so do not substitute a homemade measurement. Persil’s makeup-stain instructions place oxygen bleach after detergent pretreatment and direct users to follow the product and garment labels.

Do not jump straight to chlorine bleach. It can remove garment color and is prohibited on many fabrics. “Color-safe” is not a reason to skip either label.

When to stop treating it at home

Take an item labeled Dry Clean Only to a professional cleaner. Point out the stain and identify it as mascara; do not wash or soak the garment first.

For silk, wool, velvet, embellished, vintage or valuable clothing, follow the care label and avoid brushing or experimenting with extra products. Use a professional cleaner if the label does not permit ordinary washing or if the item is fragile.

Stop if a hidden-area test shows dye transfer, fading, texture change or a water ring. University of Georgia textile-care guidance likewise says to check the care label and pretest every cleaning agent for colorfastness (cosmetics stain guidance). A stain that has already gone through a hot dryer may improve with repeated compatible pretreatment, but complete removal is less certain.