For ChapStick lovers, it’s common to have lip balm on your clothes. Unfortunately, at times, you forget that you had a lip balm and throw your clothes in the washer only to, later on, find that your clothes have ChapStick on them. On other occasions, the ChapStick gets hot and melts in the pocket, leaving stains on the clothes.
You can easily remove red ChapStick or any other colored lip balm from your clothes by using a solution of oxygen-based bleach with warm water. Soak the fabric in the solution for ten hours. After that, wash and rinse the fabric. The red ChapStick will be removed from the clothes.
This article discusses how you can remove red ChapStick from your clothes at home. By reading the article, you will understand different methods to get the colored lip balm stains out of clothes.
Does ChapStick Stain Clothes?
Yes, ChapStick Stains clothes. ChapStick is made from wax and oil-based substances. When these substances come into contact with your clothes, they might leave a residue on the fabric. This residue from lip balm is what stains clothes.
ChapStick will most likely melt as you wear it or melt in your pocket if you live in a hot area.
High temperatures mainly cause the melting of ChapStick. When ChapStick is subjected to high temperatures, molecules of the solid ChapStick speed up to the extent that their rate is higher than the attraction. As a result, the molecules move past each other, causing the meltdown.
When you have ChapStick stains on your clothes, you should do your best and remove them immediately after you have spotted them. Unfortunately, the older the stains, the harder it is for you to remove them.
The best way to remove ChapStick stains on clothes is to use liquid laundry detergent or liquid dish soap. The two are rich in surfactants which lift the stains from your clothes before they are washed away.
The ChapStick stains can also be pre-treated with a baking soda paste as the paste will absorb the oil causing the stain. You might also use a gel stain remover to remove ChapStick stains from your clothes since the stain remover can penetrate the fibers and remove the stains as it penetrates the fibers.
Will ChapStick Come Out Of Clothes?
After noticing ChapStick on your clothes, you might worry whether it will come out of your clothes. For example, if it’s red and your clothes are white, you could ponder whether you can remove red ChapStick from your clothes.
Chapstick can come out of clothes if the proper stain removal process is used and the stain is removed immediately it’s spotted. However, if the stain stays on your clothes for an extended period and comes into contact with heat, it might be impossible for you to remove it.
The main problem with the stain is that ChapStick leaves a slightly darkened area that might be challenging to notice right away rather than leaving a brightly stained section. In addition, if the stain is not quickly removed, it darkens with time, and if the ChapStick stain is dried under heat, it can become a permanent stain.
ChapStick stains are not permanent if they are quickly removed from the fabric. However, if the stains are allowed to settle on the fabric for some time and come into contact with heat, the stains can become permanent.
How To Remove Red ChapStick Out Of Clothes
If you have ChapStick on your clothes, you might be worried about whether it is possible to remove red ChapStick from your clothes or not. The only difference with the colored ChapStick is that it has a dye that gives it the color. You can remove the stains from your clothes if you have suitable materials.
For non-colored ChapStick, removing the stain on your clothes is easy since there is no dye (color) in the ChapStick, while for red ChapStick, the red dye makes it a challenge to remove ChapStick from the fabric. However, dedication and commitment to the task will allow you to get red ChapStick out of your clothes.
Let’s explore 11 different ways that you can use to remove red lip balm from your clothes.
Before using any of the below methods to remove ChapStick stains on your clothes, you need to make sure that you have removed the wax from the red ChapStick on your clothes.
Thus, if you have any solid red lip balm on your clothes, use an old credit card, spoon, or a dull object to lift the solid ChapStick from the clothes. You can then use any methods discussed below to get red ChapStick away from your clothes.
1. Vinegar
When you have oil or wax stains such as red ChapStick on your clothes, vinegar is ideal for removing these stains. Specifically, vinegar comprises 5 – 8% acetic acid. The acetic acid will cut through the oily and waxy ChapStick stain, thus releasing the acid.
To remove colored ChapStick from your clothes using vinegar, mix vinegar with warm or cold water equally. Next, apply the solution to the stained area and let it soak for at least one hour. Once the vinegar has soaked up the stain, wash the clothes in a washing machine using a normal wash setting.
If you are not sure whether vinegar will make your clothes fade, you can first test the vinegar on a small section of your clothes and continue once you have confirmed that vinegar will not cause any fading in your garment. If vinegar may cause fading in the garment, you can use any other methods discussed.
2. Laundry detergent
Before you go to the extreme of buying anything to remove ChapStick stain from your clothes, you should first try your usual laundry detergent. Laundry detergent has surfactants that break up stains and disperses dirt that would not have dissolved in water. Thus, laundry detergent on its own is capable of removing ChapStick stains.
The process is pretty simple. First, apply laundry detergent on top of the red ChapStick stain. Then, allow the laundry detergent to rest on the stain for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, use a soft bristle brush to scrub the stain.
After scrubbing the stain, wash your clothes in your washer using the hot water setting specified in the care label. After the wash cycle is over, inspect the clothes and confirm whether the stain has been removed or not. If the stain has not been removed, you should not dry the clothes.
Instead, repeat the process until the red ChapStick is wholly removed. You can then air dry your clothes or dry them in the dryer. It would help if you never dried clothes with visible stains in the dryer since the heat in the dryer can make the stain permanent.
3. Dish Soap
Another option to remove red ChapStick stains out of your clothes without buying anything involves dish soap. Unknown to many, dish soap is one of the best stain removers. This is because the soap has high amounts of surfactants that help to clean fats and oil common in dirty dishes. Thus, when dish soap is used to wash red ChapStick stains, it can remove the stains from clothes.
Apply a fair amount of dish soap to the ChapStick stain. Allow the dish soap to rest on the stain for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, use a soft bristle brush to rub dish soap onto the stain. After rubbing, rinse your cloth and wash the clothes in a normal wash cycle.
Repeat the process if the stain is still present in your clothes after the wash cycle. Make sure that you don’t put your clothes in the dryer before you have confirmed that the red ChapStick stain is removed since if you use the dryer and the clothes still have the stain, the ChapStick stain is most likely to become a permanent stain.
4. Baking Soda
When introduced to an oil-based stain, baking soda is an alkali that interacts with the stains and removes it by drawing the stain out of the fabric through trapping. Thus, since the ChapStick stain is oily, baking soda can remove the stains.
If the red ChapStick is fresh and has not dried up, blot the stain with a paper towel or an absorbent cloth. Next, apply baking soda to the ChapStick stain and use a paper towel to press baking soda into the stain. Leave the baking soda covering the stain for about an hour.
Use a soft-bristle brush or a toothbrush to rub the baking soda into the ChapStick stain. If the baking soda appears to be less when rubbing, you can add more. Once you finish rubbing, remove the excess baking soda.
Repeat the process until ChapStick is fully absorbed. A good indicator that ChapStick is fully absorbed is when you notice that baking soda has turned brown. Next, wash your clothes in the washing machine as per the care label. Repeat the process if the stain is not entirely removed after the wash cycle.
5. Chalk
Yes, you read that right; chalk and specifically, the one used in a classroom setting, can be used to remove ChapStick stains. Chalk is made from Calcium Carbonate, which can pull ChapStick stains out of the fabric.
However, this method should be used for small ChapStick spots on your clothes. Blot out ChapStick from your clothes using a paper towel or an absorbent towel. Cover the red ChapStick stain with chalk and allow at least 20 minutes for ChapStick to be pulled by the chalk. Use a soft brush to rub the chalk into the stain.
Wash your clothes in a standard wash setting. If you still have the stain after the wash, repeat the process until the stain is entirely removed.
6. Talcum Powder/Baby Powder
Talcum powder, also known as the baby powder, can remove red ChapStick stains from clothes. The powder is usually in excellent form. It can therefore fill the gaps between the fibers of your fabric and absorb ChapStick.
To use baby powder to remove ChapStick stains, apply enough powder on the top of the stain. Allow the powder to rest on the top of the stain for at least one hour. After that, brush baby powder on the stain with a soft clean brush.
Wash your stained clothes in the washing machine. You should repeat the process until the stain is removed from your clothes.
7. Cornstarch
Cornstarch has the same impact as a stain like baking soda. When applied on top of an oily or wax stain such as a red ChapStick stain and left overnight, the cornstarch will absorb the stain from the clothing.
To use cornstarch to remove the stains, apply the cornstarch on top of the stain. Leave the cornstarch covering the stain for at least 12 hours. After 12 hours, brush the cornstarch to the stain using a soft brush or a toothbrush. Next, wash the clothes in a normal wash cycle. If the stain is not wholly removed, repeat the process until removed.
8. Lemon Essential Oil
A lemon essential oil can remove ChapStick stains since it can dissolve the dried-out residue and eliminate any discoloration. However, when using lemon essential oil to remove the stains, you must wash your clothes immediately. In addition, if you leave lemon on your clothes for a long time, it could have a permanent yellowing impact.
Sprinkle lemon oil on the top of the stain. After that, throw your clothes in the washer and wash your stained garments as per the care label. Repeat the process if the stain is not removed after you have washed your clothes.
9. Liquid Glycerin
Liquid glycerin loosens oily stains from fabrics, thus washing away the stains. For example, to use glycerin to remove the red ChapStick stain on clothes, you need to dab some liquid glycerin on the stain and leave it for 45-60 minutes.
After the minutes have lapsed, use a paper towel to remove the glycerin and the loosened ChapStick. Next, wash your clothes in the washer and check whether the stains are entirely removed once the wash cycle is completed. Repeat the process if the stains were not completely removed.
10. Iron Over The Red ChapStick Stain
If your ChapStick stain is dry, you can iron over the stain to remove it. However, you need not put the ChapStick into the fabric. Therefore, you should use paper towels to absorb the melted ChapStick.
Position one piece of the paper towel on the craft table and place the clothing on top of the paper towel. Place the other paper towel on the top of the stain. If you use an iron whose temperature is set at medium, iron the paper towel covering the stain. Ensure that your iron is set at medium heat – if excess heat is used, your paper towel could light up. After all the ChapStick has been transferred to the paper towel, wash your cloth in the washer.
Can You Remove ChapStick Stains From Clothes After Drying
Once you have washed your clothes that had ChapStick on them and dried them without removing the lip balm, it will be tough to remove ChapStick from the clothes. Likewise, if the lip balm has been on your clothes for a long time and has dried up, removing ChapStick will be a challenge.
To remove ChapStick stains from clothes after drying, you should use an acetone-based nail polish remover or mineral spirits. Acetone is a solvent and thus perfect for removing oil and wax-based stains.
To use acetone to remove ChapStick stains from dried clothes, sprinkle acetone on the stained part of the garment. Leave acetone to work on the garment for 15-30 minutes. Next, wash your garment in the washer. If the stain is still there, repeat the process.
How To Get Melted ChapStick Out Of Clothing
As long as you treat your stain well, you will be able to remove melted ChapStick from the clothes using the process explained below.
What You Will Require
Clothing with melted lip balm
Old credit card, blunt knife or any other blunt object
Paper towels
Brown bag
Ironing board or craft table
Iron
Liquid laundry detergent
Washing machine
Soft brush or toothbrush
Step 1: Inspect the melted ChapStick on your clothes
You will carefully inspect the melted lip balm on your clothes. The inspection is essential since it will help you understand the scope of the melted ChapStick. Ensure you check the inside of your clothes as the melted lip balm might have advanced to the inside of your stained clothes.
Step 2: Using a blunt object, scrape away the residue
Using your old credit card or any other blunt object, scrape away the melted lip balm as much as possible. To ensure that you don’t transfer the waxy residue of ChapStick that you scrape off, make sure you use paper towels to clean up the residue and throw it in the bin.
Step 3: Tear the brown bag on the sides
Tear the brown bag on the sides to end up with two sheets of brown paper. If you don’t have a brown bag, you can use paper towels or any other thick paper in the next step.
Step 4: Place the piece of brown bag paper on the ironing board or craft table
Take the piece of brown bag paper that you obtained in step 3 and place it on top of the ironing board. After that, place the waxy section of the clothing on top of the brown bag paper. Ensure that the section with melted wax is facing upwards. After that, place the other sheet of brown-bag paper on top of the area with the melted ChapStick.
Step 5: Set iron to medium heat and turn it on
Set your iron to medium heat and turn it on. Make sure the iron is set at medium heat since if the heat is too high or too low, it will not ensure that the melted ChapStick is picked up from the clothes.
Step 6: Iron the brown sheet of paper
Use the medium heated iron to iron the brown sheet paper. Ensure that the iron does not stay in one location for more than 2 seconds so that you avoid the paper being burnt. As you iron the paper, you will see that the melted ChapStick will be transferred to the paper. When needed, replace the brown sheet of paper until all the wax has been picked up from the clothes.
Step 7: Apply a fair amount of liquid laundry detergent on the spot with melted lip balm
Apply a good amount of the liquid detergent on the spot stained by lip balm. Use a soft bristle brush or toothbrush to scrub the liquid detergent on top of the waxy area. Leave the detergent to soak up any lip balm stain for 10 minutes.
Step 8: Wash the clothes in a normal wash setting
Wash the cloth in a normal wash setting. This implies that you have to wash the fabric as per the care label. For example, if the fabric with melted ChapStick stain is cotton, use a cotton wash setting.
Step 9: Inspect the cloth and only dry once you are sure that melted lip balm has been removed
After the wash cycle is complete, inspect the section that had the stain and confirm that melted ChapStick has been entirely removed. Once you have confirmed that ChapStick has been removed, you dry the clothing in a dryer. If the stain is not wholly removed, repeat the process.
Good To Know Tips When Removing ChapStick Stains On Clothes
Whenever you have ChapStick stains, it is good you know the following tips so that you can be able to have good results:
1. Be quick – Once you have noticed the stain, remove it immediately. The more the stain stays in your fabric, the harder it becomes to remove it.
2. Read the care label – Since you need to wash the fabric after treating the stain, you must wash your clothes according to the specifications provided in the care label.
3. Always pre-treat the stain – Even if some stains can be removed from washing the clothes, it is important to first treat the stain before washing the stained clothes.
4. Don’t dry your clothes until the stains are removed – When a stain comes into contact with heat, the stain becomes harder to remove. Thus, always ensure that you only throw your clothes in the dryer once you have confirmed that the stain is removed in the washer.
5. Blot, not rub the stain – You should never rub the stain since if you rub it, the stain will be pushed further into the fibers, making it a challenge to remove the stains. Instead, blot any ChapStick with a paper towel or an absorbent cloth.
6. Always clean the washer and dryer after removing the stains– After you have removed the stains, it is always essential to clean the dryer and the washer. By cleaning the dryer and the washer, you ensure that your next laundry will not pick any ChapStick residue that could have been left in the washer and dryer.
Conclusions
Whether your ChapStick stain is colored or not colored, you can use the different methods discussed to remove stains from your clothes. Most of the ways use items that you already have in your house. Good luck as you remove the stain on your clothes.
