How to get chapstick out of clothes. If one is not careful, ChapStick/wax lip balm can get onto clothing and create a big mess.
It’s not always easy to remove these kinds of substances once they solidify or melt onto fabrics, so it’s sometimes necessary to start over with the laundry cycle.
If one notices bits of wax lip balm in the washer or dryer before starting the wash cycle, it makes sense to check if there’s any residue left on the item of clothing before throwing everything in (this may especially be true for colored items).
Unfortunately, most laundry detergents are unable to break up wax lip balm. To avoid this problem altogether, make sure that you keep your lip products in their original packaging inside a pocket during laundry time.
How to get chapstick out of clothes
The best stain remover in our experience is white vinegar because it really helps to lift stubborn stains, but using a one part vinegar to three parts water solution (or simply adding a few tablespoons of vinegar to the water) should work just as well.
Apply your solution sparingly to the stains and let it sit for at least half an hour, up to overnight if you want.
You can also add a little dish soap into your pre-treatment solution if you want as well because dish soap helps break up the oils that make stains so hard to get rid of.
You can remove chapstick with products that you probably already have at home. Use these products to remove chapstick from clothes:
Remove as much Chapstick as possible
Chapstick is waxy and the stain will leave behind a waxy residue on your clothing. The first thing you’ll want to do is scrape as much chapstick off as possible with a plastic knife.
If that doesn’t work, use a spoon or credit card. Each time you scrape off a little more of the wax, be sure to wipe it off the utensil you’re using so that it doesn’t smudge onto your clothes.
Ironing Over the Stain
Next, you’ll want to gently iron over the stain in order to melt the chapstick. You do not want to further melt the wax as it spreads, so you’ll need brown paper bags or craft paper on hand to soak up any excess melted chapstick.
Put one piece of brown paper on top of your ironing board, then place your clothing item with melted chapstick on top of that. Then add a second layer of brown paper to cover the stained area.
Apply Baking Soda
Ironing is an effective way to remove most of the waxy material, but an oil stain may still be left behind. Immediately after ironing, you will want to apply baking soda on top of the stain while it is still melted.
The next step would be using a toothbrush to scrub the baking soda into the stain with pressure so as to clump up some of the baking soda together. This indicates that some of the oil is being absorbed by soil remover.
Vinegar is extremely effective
Vinegar is very effective at removing tough oil-based stains. It is best combined with a mild detergent because of its acidic properties.
Dilute the mixture in equal parts, and work it into the fabric giving each wash an extra rinse to remove residual soaps.
Test it on an inconspicuous spot on the fabric to make sure that the vinegar doesn’t cause any discoloration.
Pour a small amount of vinegar directly onto the stain, and after 15 minutes lift out the stain using a clean white cloth.
Use a Dish Soap
Another trick to tackle oily stains is to use dish soap rather than vinegar. It can remove an undesirable oil splatter on your car and work wonders for body oils on your clothes too.
If you allow the dish soap to sit for a few minutes, then you can rinse it off.
Stain Pre-Treatment
Before washing a piece of clothing, try to remove as much of the Chapstick stain as possible using common household items like WD-40, shaving cream, or even peanut butter (which was found to be effective in removing ink stains from fabrics).
If your first attempt still leaves a light trace of the stain, you can give peroxide or a similar product a go.
You want to make sure that the stain remover is applied directly onto the spot and then let it sit for a few minutes before washing out the garment.
Try Liquid Laundry Detergent
After trying everything else, the last thing you’ll want to do is pour liquid laundry detergent directly onto the chapstick stain. Rub the detergent into the stain and let it sit on the fabric for several minutes.
Finally, wash the clothing using the hottest water that the fabric can handle. Avoid putting clothing into the dryer until you’re sure that chapstick has been removed! If any stain remains, treat again with the above products.
How to get chapstick out of clothes
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