How to get eyeliner out of carpet

Did you drop your eyeliner and get some on the carpet?  No worries, here’s a hack to easily get eyeliner out of carpet.

You can get eyeliner out of the carpet by using shaving cream and warm water.  Use a rag to get the carpet damp, and then spray some shaving cream on the area.  Lastly, rub the shaving cream off with a cloth.

Shaving Cream (must be cream, not gel)
Warm water
Washcloth

If you do not have a washcloth, any rag will do.  You could even use a sponge if you’d like.  The cloth will be used for transporting water and scrubbing.

1. Put your washcloth into the warm water and wring it out.  You want the cloth to be a little wet but not completely soaking.

2. Use your wet washcloth to get the carpet and eyeliner wet.  Go back and soak your washcloth in warm water again if needed.

3. Spray some shaving cream on the eyeliner.  The shaving cream acts like a soap, so just make sure you use enough to cover the stained area.

4. Use your washcloth to scrub the shaving cream.  Don’t scrub too aggressively because you do not want to spread the eyeliner around while removing eyeliner from the carpet.

5. Dip your washcloth in the warm water once again.  This time we will want to use a bit more water to remove the shaving cream.

6. Scrub your area with your washcloth again.  See what areas need more work still and repeat as necessary.

Bonus tip: Use a blot or dap technique with the washcloth.  Using a side-to-side scrubbing technique could smear the eyeliner stain.

And there you go, your carpet should look clean at this point.  Results may vary based on how long the eyeliner has been on the carpet and how big of a mess it is.  Using shaving cream to remove eyeliner from carpet is a great cleaning hack that you should try.

No, it will not work as well as the cream.  I do not recommend using gel versions of shaving cream.  Any brand of normal cream will do.

You want it to be warm enough to help out with the cleaning process.  However, it does not need to be boiling hot, as you’ll be touching it while cleaning out the eyeliner.  Keep it about hot tub temperature to the point where it is still warm but safe to touch.

As long as you’re making progress, keep repeating the process!  It is totally normal for it to take 3+ repetitions before the stain is completely gone.  It depends on the size of your stain, the age of the stain, and the type of eyeliner.  As long as it gets better every time, you should continue to repeat the cleaning process.

Eyeliner is oil-based, so the warmth helps get the oil moving.  If the water is cold, it could cause the eyeliner stain to settle.

Now that you have cleaned up your eyeliner stain, it might be a good time to think ahead and prevent this from happening.  If your makeup stains are usually on the carpet in front of your mirror, consider putting down a small carpet where makeup might usually fall.  This way it can take the damage and keep the carpet underneath nice and clean.

If the shaving cream trick did not work, you can look into buying carpet cleaners.  These are cleaning solutions specifically designed to clean carpets without damaging them.  Not all carpets are the same, so this might be a good choice if the shaving cream technique was not effective.

If you can’t find carpet cleaner, you can also make your own all-purpose cleaning solution by mixing dishwashing soap and warm water.  You can also pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray it onto the stained area.  After the area is wet, blot with your washcloth.

Your initial thought might be to use makeup remover to remove the eyeliner from the carpet.  This is a good idea and you should try and see if it is effective before trying the shaving cream technique.  The effectiveness of makeup remover wipes will vary based on the age of the stain and the type of carpet you have.  It’s still worth a shot!