How to Get Eyeshadow Out of Carpet in 5 Ways

How to Get Eyeshadow Out of Carpet in 5 Ways

Author: Anne Cowart | Editor: Omar Alonso

Review & Research: Jen Worst & Chris Miller

While eyeshadows are a lifesaver for your everyday makeup and elevating your natural beauty, they don’t do much to improve carpets. When spilled, they end up leaving stains and damaging the carpet fibers. So if you’re a yearning makeup artist, you should learn some methods regarding how to get eyeshadow out of carpet.

Luckily, your regular dishwashing detergent or eye makeup remover can easily eliminate the stain from your precious carpet. However, there are many types of eyeshadows, and you need to use different products on them.

So, let’s have the whole detailed conversation about the process and much more. How do you get eyeshadow out of carpet? We have five methods to share…

How to Get Eyeshadow Out of Carpet – A Detailed Guide

Makeup is indeed an art, and art shouldn’t follow restrictions. So instead of panicking about spills and accidents, acknowledge the ways to help you get eyeshadow out of your carpet.

Note: We’ll explain several methods below, but before applying any of those to your expensive carpet, ensure you’ve gone through the manual at least once. And, of course, do a spot test at a little corner, perhaps in a closet, to see if your carpet can work with a specific product without being discolored further.

Method 1: Keep It Simple with Eye Makeup Remover

We know it might sound ironic that we’re planning on dealing with such a colossal mess with makeup remover, but trust us on this. If the spill is new, the hack can work just fine. Makeup remover works by dissolution, solubilization, and often micelles that bind and encapsulate makeup molecules, which keeps it from sticking to any surface. After that we can blot it out and disperse it.

Here’s the list of the stuff you’ll need:

• Eye makeup remover
• Cold water
• Soft microfiber cloth

1) Before starting with the eye makeup remover, it would be best to vacuum the powder out first, unless you want the shadow powder and the remover to make a sticky paste. Let’s get into the steps now.

Apply the remover to a microfiber cloth. The microfiber cloth is just the medium because you can’t directly apply the cleansing remover to the carpet. If you do so, the cleaner will go deep into the carpet backing, and the aftermath wouldn’t be decent at all.

2) Gently rub the cloth on the residue of the eyeshadow until you see the stain coming off the carpet fabric.

3) Keep adding the remover and rubbing the area at least two to three times. And that should be enough for relatively lighter eyeshadow stains.

4) Now dip the cloth into cold water and rub that on the spot to eliminate all the remnants.

5) Lastly, use a dry and clean fabric to help the area dry sooner. You can use a blow dryer to hasten the process. If you notice a stain still, don’t dry it. Continue blotting first.

If you continue having problems with this method, try the next with hydrogen peroxide, or read on to learn about using shaving cream and white vinegar, too.

Method 2: Defeating the Stubborn Stain with Hydrogen Peroxide

If the light eye makeup remover fails to get the spilled eyeshadow out of your carpet, you might need a more robust cleaner. This method requires the following items:

• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Water
• Soft Microfiber Fabric

Hydrogen peroxide is nothing like bleach, so you shouldn’t be worrying about damaging your carpet, but you can perform a test in a corner to make sure first.

1. Put a few drops of the liquid into the stain. Dab to spread the cleanser.
2. Let that sit for a minute and gently rub the area with the microfiber fabric.
3. Use another microfiber cloth to get the hydrogen peroxide off.
4. Allow the area to dry naturally. Try patting the spot with a paper towel to help it dry faster if needed.

The process above may need to be repeated once or twice. Until you notice that the discoloration is gone or reduced drastically, don’t bother with the drying step. Keep blotting until you’re satisfied and then proceed to step 4. When it comes to how to remove eyeshadow from carpet, repeated blotting is the most important step, so take your time and do it as much as is necessary.

Method 3: Use Mild Detergent – The Most Effective Remedy

If you’re willing to put some effort into the deal, we think you should use this method. This is how to get eyeshadow out of carpet in a way that works like bliss!

• Make a solution by mixing one tablespoon of liquid dishwasher or detergent and two cups of cold water. Try making the mixture with a bottle and shake it thoroughly.
• Now take a cloth, dampen that with the solution and blot the stain. Try rubbing gently in concentric circles.
• Continue rubbing until all the stain vanishes.
• Lastly, pat the area with a dry cloth, and your job will be done!

We picked these methods because they don’t include any toxic ingredients or bleach that can harm your carpet. Using commercial solutions isn’t safe since some of them contain chemicals that might not be good for your carpet.

Method 4: Use Shaving Cream or White Vinegar

Shaving cream is one of the most excellent and convenient ways to get eyeshadow out of your carpet, especially higher pigmented eyeshadows. Let’s learn how this quick cleaning hack can help you.

• Start with spraying shaving cream on the stained area. Work it in a bit if needed.
• Allow the cream to sit for 30-40 minutes.
• Use a dry and clean fabric to scrub the area gently until you get the stain out completely. Repeat if necessary.
• Once you’re done, you must rinse the area so that the shaving cream doesn’t damage the carpet.

Much like the blotting mentioned above, you may need to repeat the process several times while noticing the stain’s discoloration lessening each time. Rework the area until you’re satisfied. You can follow this exact same plan (minus the need to wait for half an hour) using white vinegar if you have any on hand.

Method 5: Remove Powder Eyeshadow With or Without a Vacuum

Cleaning powdered eyeshadow spills out of a carpet is easy if you know the appropriate solution. Which method you will use to eliminate the eyeshadow from your carpet would depend on your eye shadow type, and for powder we have two answers.

The first and most obvious choice is to use any types of vacuums to suck the powder eyeshadow out of the carpet before it’s stepped on and allowed to settle or be introduced to moisture. This is the fastest and most efficient method you can use.

Although we’ve mentioned above that powder-based eyeshadow should be removed with a vacuum, there’s another way if you don’t have access to a vacuum. Follow along below:

• Locate the affected area and pour baking soda, cornstarch, and flour onto the area.
• Let them sit for about an hour.
• Once they are dried, broom the carpet or take the rug outside to shake all the powder off. This way, the dried ingredients will get the eyeshadow out with them as well. And you’ll be left with no vacuuming worries.

The main point here is to make sure you don’t introduce any moisture so that the eyeshadow, baking soda, cornstarch, and/or flour all stay dry so they can be shook out of the carpet.

Types of Eyeshadows & Ways to Clean Them Off Your Carpet

Did you know when you try to clean accidental drops of eyeshadow from your carpet, you need to think about the type of the eyeshadow too? It’s pretty apparent, though, that different eyeshadow types act differently. Here’s how you can deal with the various eyeshadow types:

Powder Eyeshadow

This type of eyeshadow should be cleaned using a vacuum cleaner. Treat it just like trying to get rid of ants on your carpet. Any cleansing solution or liquid will mess up powder-based eyeshadows. So, first, you need to remove the powder by vacuuming. After that, you can use makeup removers or other cleansing liquids if you find any stains.

Oil-Based Eyeshadow

Dishwashing soaps would be the perfect pick for cleaning off oil-based eyeshadows. Mix the soap with cold water, apply that to the spot using clean fabric, and try rubbing for a while; you’ll see the shadow coming off eventually.

Once oil-based eyeshadow is rubbed and worked into the carpet fibers it can be a lot like trying to get toothpaste out of carpet in terms of texture and consistency. It will always help to remove as much of the gunk as possible first before beginning to rub and blot. This is key in knowing how to remove eyeshadow stains from carpet and doing so successfully without spreading it around.

High Pigment Eyeshadow

Some eyeshadows don’t seem to leave the carpet, no matter what you try. Mostly the high pigmentation and paint-based ones. That’s when you should either turn to shaving cream or white vinegar. Those work like magic in the stains, and don’t let the colorful shadows ruin your carpet.

How Do You Get Eyeshadow Stains Off the Carpet?

Let’s say you didn’t notice until it’s too late and now you have a stain. People who use powder-based eyeshadows might not know about the stubborn stains that oil-based and paint eyeshadows leave on carpets.

But we have been there and know how hard it is to get those stains out of a rug. If you’re running out of hacks, let us help you get through this.

• Get some lukewarm water and mix soap or liquid dishwasher or powder with that. Shake the bottle constantly for a smooth mixture.
• Apply the solution to your carpet using a fabric.
• Rub the spot gently until you see the stain coming off with the cloth.
• Dab the area to get the extra liquid off and apply a drizzle of potato starch on the spot; let that sit for 24 hours.
• The next day, eliminate the starch by using the same dishwashing solution as before.

That layer of starch will take all the stains away by soaking them out of the carpet fibers. Blot the area with paper towels on the carpet and ensure no starch residue is left.

Is Eyeshadow Bad for Carpet Other Than Staining It?

Some out there, without any hesitation, will say, “It’s eyeshadow; what harm can it do to a carpet?” That’s where we’d like to stop you and tell you that you shouldn’t leave spilled eyeshadow on the carpet.

To begin with, the colorful eyeshadow might leave noticeable stains. Besides, some eyeshadows are made with chemicals that can immensely damage the carpet fibers and even lead your carpet to bleach. So, it’s better to take measures right when you notice the eyeshadow drops on your carpet.

You also don’t want to expose pets, who seem to lick anything out of the ordinary, or children to the chemicals in eyeshadow. If they see a colorful stain they will be drawn to it. If young children get it on their hands, you can bet it’ll be in their eyes, nose, and mouth before you know it. Probably their ears, too.

That’s How to Get Eyeshadow Out of Carpet!

There you have all the easiest methods of removing eyeshadow stains from your carpet. But before choosing any of our methods, make sure you go through the manual instructions.

And now that you know how to get eyeshadow out of carpet, we suggest you get rid of the eyeshadow as soon as possible. Otherwise, that might leave stains and damage the carpet fibers. Why suffer when you can solve it?