Advise on how to remove make-up stains from towels?

[Alyssa99]

Hi all!

I was wondering if any of you have experienced makeup stains on towels/washclothes. As a women who wears makeup, I totally understand why this happens, but it does ruin towels! 

Has anyone considered providing makeup wipes to discourage this?

We buy individual cases "hotel size" toiletries from Amazon (which have been great), and I just noticed they also sell cases of individual makeup wipes. Thinking of buying some to set out next to the toiletries! 

Has anyone tried this with success?

Below is a link to the Amazon seller's page with makeup wipes/hotel style toiletries: 

https://www.amazon.com/s?marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A3AUQIOOBZTL8N&merchant=A3AUQIOOBZTL8N 

[Susan151]

I have never actually had to remove a towel from my inventory due to makeup stains (and I have had tons of towels with makeup residue on them.) OxyClean, Shout, and laundry detergent together, soaking for as much time as needed, has taken care of the problem every time.

I do have makeup removers in the room, but I simply can't stand the concept of individual packets for environmental reasons, plus they are so expensive. So instead, I leave resealable Neutrogena packets which have about 30 clothes included. I also have some Costco white washclothes for people who bring their own cleanser.

At first I was embarassed to mention these items, but over 2 years later, it is simply part of my house tour banter. I do not try to guess if someone in the group uses makeup anymore. Just not one of my skills.

[Marie8425]

@Susan151 

I agree with you.  In Hawaii we found Dawn Dish Detergent was great for removing blood, red dirt stains, and make up stains lol

[Sandra126]

Bottle of makeup remover, tin of cotton balls. Coloured face cloths. Yes, still get the white towels marked from time to time, rescue like @Susan151 does.

[Ned-And-Laura0]

We have cheap little wash cloths we got on Amazon.  We leave 4 or 5 folded next to the sink.  I find they usually will use those for washing their face and we have only had to throw one away because of stains.  Since they cost less then a $1 each and last for months it seems the most ecological and economical.

[Helen427]

Ned and Laura, instead of throwing them away, repurpose them into cleaning cloths, it's more environmentally friendly>

[Yuni-and-Erick0]

Hello! I am Yuni and I rent my apartment with my partner in Havana, Cuba

I have had big and small towels not only with brown make up stains but with sunblock stains. In the begining this problem drove me crazy cause I tried to fix them up with chlorine but it didn't worked since the stains turned into yellow color and personally I didn't like to use too much chlorine because is toxic for health. Later, finding in Internet I found different solutions... Lemon with baking powder, vinegar but the great solution was OXICLEAN ULTRA gel.

I soak the white towels  for 30 minutes, only with water, and later I put again clean water in the washing machine and I add enough washing powder and OXICLEAN ULTRA gel and I leave the towels for at least 2 hours. In my case I make quick washes twice, about every 1 hour... and the problem is gone!! 🙂

[Pete28]

Noticed one hotel we stay at uses black wash cloths. No stains are going to survive that 🙂

[Lizzie]

Hello @Pete28,

One of the Airbnbs I stayed in a few years ago had a pile of black wash cloths, with a little sign saying something like "For makeup removal" and was left by the sink in the bathroom. I thought it was a really good idea too. 🙂

[Letti0]

@Pete0 can't tag you. I supply the black make up towels also. Only once a woman from Japan trashed one of my white towels with her makeup otherwise they work really good from my groups.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I thought about makeup wipes but I am affraid they will end up in a toilet and clog it 😞

[Victoria567]

Hello @Alyssa99

I provide a large quality basket of toiletries containing, sanitary pads, tampons, paper bags for disposal of used sanitary towels and wipes, make up removing wipes, shower gel, liquid soap, cotton pads, shampoo, hairbrush conditioner, hair mousse, hair gel, toothpaste, tooth floss, hand / body lotion, and a hairdrier.

There is a box of Kleenex tissues on the bedside table with bottles of Highland Soring water, 2 crystal glasses and a box of chocolates.

Imagine my shock to read this morning in my progress report that recent guests, reported missing items, such as..... ( you could not make this up!)

Missing....pillows

Missing ....bed linen

Missing....toilet paper 

Missing....soap 

Missing ....1 towel

Totally stunned I phoned air bnb in London today to complain about these down and out fibs from this pair of entitled madams despite their giving me a 5* review.......their ignorance is totally breathtaking.

What do they have in common

Female

Vegetarian or food fads 

Entitled

Virtue signallers

and all from across the pond.......Each and every one of them

We May share a common language but there is more culture in my lavatory seat than the dire quality I’ve had the misfortune of hosting, this season.

The last 2 years tases visitirs were so friendly, so educated, so nice.....was it a full moon in August?

Germans.....love love love

Swiss....love love love

Dutch....love love love

Italians...love love love

French....love love love

Canadians.....love love love

Aussies ......love love love

Kiwis.....love love love

South Africans .....love love love

Our Commonwealth cousins....love love love

Virtue signallers..... just please stay at home and save yourselves the airfare! 

[Shannon108]

All of my towels and washcloths are black.  It's been super helpful with staining.  I am a woman who wears makeup and my personal towels are white, and I've noticed that even with bleaching they are a bit dingy so when setting up the Airbnb I just went for black.   After a year they are starting to not be as black, since they get washed a lot, but they still look pretty good.  Only issue I have is that suppliers often discontinue this colorway in their towel selection (pottery barn).  But Target and Fred Meyer/Kroger in the US have been reliable.  I even had a guest ask where the towels were from because they are "so nice".     

Linens and beadspread are White- and that is a whole other issue but Bleach, OxyClean and Arm&Hammer with OxyClean are my close close friends at this point.  I'm a laundry goddess now. 

[Crystal98]

I have also had makeup stains on my towels multiple times. I have white towels, so I use stain remover and bleach to clean them. I was also thinking about providing makeup wipes, but haven't decided yet. Since you can get towels fairly cheap, they can be replaced if its really bad. I say stick with the towels.

[Emily487]

We use gray or dusty purple Better Homes and Gardens brand towels from Walmart and they have really held up over the last 12 months but it is time to replace. I will use an OxyClean Ultra Max spray on the rare case of make up residue. What I struggle with is belated bleach stains from acne medicine! It doesn't show up until later and there is no way to fix it.