Cleaning Carpet Stains Caused by Lipstick or Nail Polish

Many lipstick and nail polish stains can be removed in a few simple steps. Whatever type of stain you are dealing with always test in an inconspicuous area first to ensure the cleaning agents used will not damage or stain your carpet further.  

The first step in treating a nail polish stain is to apply an ink, marker or graffiti remover to the affected area. You can usually find these products at your local hardware store. Allow soaking for 2-5 minutes before following up with the next step, see last paragraph. For lipstick the fist thing you need to do is remove as much of the lipstick as possible by using a spoon, spatula or similar object. Do not use a sharp object like a knife as this may cut and damage the carpet. Next apply a goo or gunk remover, Goof Off or Un-Goo are two of the more popular brands. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.

Finish treating both stains by blotting (do not scrub) the area with a clean white cloth, the cloth may get discolored from the stain so always rotate and use the clean part of the cloth. Lastly spot dry the area with another clean white cloth until you cannot remove any more liquid, then use a hairdryer in a circular motion to thoroughly dry the area. Make sure you do not use heat, adjust the setting of the hair dryer to blow cool air.