How to Get Mascara Out of Clothes Without Setting the Stain

To remove mascara from washable clothes, lift off any excess without rubbing, apply liquid laundry detergent or a prewash stain remover, let it work as directed, and wash in the hottest water allowed by the garment's care label. Check the fabric before using the dryer. If any shadow remains, repeat the treatment while the garment is still damp or air-dried.

Waterproof and dried mascara may need more than one treatment, but aggressive scrubbing or random solvents can spread the pigment or damage the fabric.

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Quick Answer

1. Check the care label and test the treatment on a hidden area.
2. Scrape or lift away dried excess with a spoon, dull knife or card.
3. Place a clean white towel behind the stain.
4. Blot, do not rub.
5. Apply liquid laundry detergent or a fabric-safe prewash stain remover.
6. Wait for the time stated on the product label.
7. Rinse as directed and wash in the hottest water safe for the garment.
8. Air dry and inspect before using the dryer.
9. Repeat if any stain remains and the fabric is tolerating treatment.

What You Need

• A spoon, dull knife or plastic card.
• Clean white cloths or paper towels.
• Liquid laundry detergent or prewash stain remover.
• A soft brush only when the fabric and treatment instructions allow it.
• Optional oxygen bleach for colorfast washable fabric when both labels permit it.

Do not mix stain removers, bleach, ammonia, alcohol or other solvents. Use one pretreatment at a time and rinse or wash as its instructions direct before switching products. More chemicals do not automatically produce a better result.

How to Remove a Fresh Mascara Stain

1. Remove the Excess

If the mascara is wet, blot the surface with a clean white cloth. If it has formed a clump, lift it gently with a dull edge.

Work from the outside toward the center so the stain does not spread. Do not press the mascara deeper into the weave.

2. Put a Towel Behind the Fabric

Place the stained area face down or face up on a clean white towel, depending on the stain-remover directions. The towel gives loosened mascara somewhere to transfer.

Move to a clean section of the towel as pigment comes out.

3. Pretreat

Apply a small amount of liquid laundry detergent or a prewash stain remover approved for the fabric, after testing on a hidden seam. Stop if color transfers or the fabric changes.

Let it sit for the time stated on the product label. Tide's cosmetics-stain guidance recommends detergent pretreatment for mascara before washing. Its timing and brush instructions are product-specific; they are not permission to scrub every fabric.

Do not let a treatment dry on the garment unless its instructions explicitly allow that dwell time. OxiClean's makeup-stain instructions also require a hidden-area test and exclude wool, silk, leather and dry-clean-only fabrics for the featured spray.

4. Rinse and Wash

Rinse as directed and wash using the hottest water permitted by the garment care label. Hotter is not automatically better; the care label sets the safe limit.

Use the normal detergent dose for the load. Adding extra detergent does not replace stain pretreatment.

5. Inspect Before Drying

Check the stain in good light before putting the garment in a dryer. Dryer heat can make remaining makeup residue harder to remove.

If a gray, brown or oily shadow remains, repeat the pretreatment and wash if the fabric still tolerates treatment. Air dry between attempts.

How to Remove Waterproof Mascara

Waterproof mascara can contain waxes, oils, film-formers and pigment designed to resist moisture. Pigment is dispersed in the formula; it is not automatically oil-soluble. Removing the surrounding residue and transferring pigment off the fabric often takes repeated pretreatment rather than harder scrubbing.

1. Lift away excess mascara.
2. Put a clean towel behind the stain.
3. Test and apply a fabric-safe prewash stain remover or liquid detergent.
4. Blot gently and move the towel as pigment transfers.
5. Rinse and wash according to the product directions and care label.
6. Air dry and repeat if necessary, stopping if color lifts or the fabric changes.

An oil-based makeup remover or micellar product may leave its own mark. If the garment and product instructions permit its use on fabric, first test it on a hidden seam, use the smallest amount possible and follow with detergent before laundering. A product meant for skin is not automatically suitable for clothing.

Do not use rubbing alcohol as the automatic first choice. It can affect some dyes, finishes and fibers. Use a solvent only when the garment and product instructions permit it, after testing a hidden area. Follow all handling and laundering directions; never put solvent-contaminated fabric in a dryer.

How to Remove Dried or Old Mascara

Old mascara is not automatically permanent, but it may need several controlled treatments. Enzymes in some products can act on suitable components of a stain; they do not dissolve mineral pigment.

1. Gently loosen dry residue with a dull edge.
2. Test and pretreat with a stain remover suitable for the fabric.
3. Allow the full label-recommended dwell time.
4. Wash according to the care label.
5. Air dry and inspect the garment.
6. Repeat the same method before switching products, provided the fabric and color remain unchanged.

If a washable, colorfast garment still shows a stain, an oxygen-bleach soak may help when the bleach product and garment labels both allow it. Follow the oxygen-bleach dilution and soaking instructions exactly, and do not mix it with another treatment.

Never use chlorine bleach on wool, silk, spandex or any garment whose care label prohibits it. Do not assume oxygen bleach is suitable for those fibers either; both labels must permit it.

White, Colored and Delicate Clothes

White Washable Clothes

Do not assume every white fabric can use chlorine bleach. Check the fiber content and care label. Start with detergent or a prewash stain remover. Use bleach only when both the garment and bleach labels permit it.

Colored Clothes

Test the treatment on an inside seam. Blot with a white cloth; if color transfers, stop and use a milder method allowed by the label or consult a professional cleaner.

Wool, Silk and Dry-Clean-Only Garments

Avoid aggressive rubbing, long soaks and household solvents. Remove excess mascara carefully and take the garment to a professional cleaner. Tell them what caused the stain and what, if anything, has already been applied.

What Not to Do

• Do not rub a wet mascara stain.
• Do not put the garment in the dryer until the stain is gone.
• Do not mix cleaning chemicals.
• Do not use a product on wool, silk, leather or dry-clean-only fabric unless its label and the garment label allow it.
• Do not assume a stain has failed after one treatment.
• Do not use extra detergent instead of pretreating the stained area.
• Do not apply makeup remover without checking fabric compatibility and whether it leaves an oily residue.

Mascara on Upholstery or Car Fabric

Do not use the clothing wash procedure on fixed upholstery.

Blot excess mascara, check the upholstery manufacturer's cleaning code and use a cleaner approved for that surface. Avoid saturating foam padding. For delicate, unknown or valuable upholstery, use a professional cleaner.

Further Makeup-Stain References

For additional guidance, consult the American Cleaning Institute's makeup-stain advice and Whirlpool's makeup-removal guide. Always check the current garment and treatment labels before applying a method.

For other cosmetics, see how to remove makeup stains and how to remove lipstick stains. Browse our stain removal guides for other types of marks.

FAQ: How to Remove Mascara Stains

How do you get mascara out of a shirt?

Lift away excess mascara, pretreat the spot with liquid detergent or a fabric-safe prewash stain remover, wait as directed and wash at the hottest temperature permitted by the shirt's care label. Inspect before drying.

Can mascara come out in a normal wash?

A wash may lighten a small fresh mark, but pretreatment gives the detergent direct contact with the oily, pigmented residue. Do not rely on the wash cycle alone for a visible stain.

How do you remove waterproof mascara from clothes?

Use repeated blotting and a fabric-safe pretreatment. Wash according to the care label and air dry to inspect. Avoid aggressive rubbing and untested solvents.

How do you remove an old mascara stain?

Gently remove dry residue, pretreat for the full product-recommended time, wash and repeat before using the dryer if the fabric tolerates treatment. For colorfast washable fabric, use oxygen bleach only when both labels permit it.

Does hot water set mascara stains?

There is no single safe temperature for every fabric. Follow the garment care label and use the hottest water it permits after pretreatment.

Can I use dish soap on mascara?

A small amount of clear hand-dishwashing liquid can help with oily residue on some washable fabrics, but laundry detergent or a labeled prewash stain remover is easier to dose and verify. Test first and rinse thoroughly before machine washing to avoid excess suds. Never put hand-dishwashing liquid in the washer dispenser.

Can I use rubbing alcohol on waterproof mascara?

Not as a universal first step. Alcohol may affect dyes or fabric finishes. Use it only when the garment and product guidance allow it and after testing a hidden area. Follow all handling and laundering directions and never put solvent-contaminated fabric in a dryer.

What if the stain is still visible after washing?

Do not machine dry it. Repeat the same pretreatment once if the fabric tolerates it, then reassess. If the fabric is delicate or color is lifting, stop and use a professional cleaner.

Final Takeaway

Mascara removal is a transfer-and-pretreat process, not a scrubbing contest. Remove the excess, give a suitable stain remover time to work, wash within the garment's care instructions and inspect before heat drying.

Waterproof or dried mascara may take more than one pass. Repeating a fabric-safe method is safer than escalating to stronger household chemicals.

For an unidentified mark, use the stain removal guide to choose a fabric-safe starting point.

Before washing, follow the stain pretreatment steps for product testing and contact time.

For a primarily oily mark on washable fabric, follow the grease and oil stain guide before washing.

Before treating a colored item, test the exact wash or laundry product on a hidden area. A pass lowers risk only under the tested conditions.