· By Samantha Freres
How to Remove Halloween Stains: Makeup, Fake Blood & More
The Scariest Part of Halloween? The Stains.
Halloween is all fun and games until you wake up with fake blood on your favorite top, spray tan on your sheets, and a mysterious red stain from last night’s spooky punch.
The costumes? Iconic. The stains? Terrifying.
But don’t let a little Halloween aftermath haunt your wardrobe. Here’s your guide to tackling the scariest stains of the season.
The Fake Blood That Looked a Little Too Real
It may look like the real thing, but it doesn’t come out like the real thing.
Real blood is a protein stain. Fake blood is corn syrup and red food dye, which makes it a sugar stain and a dye stain in a costume. Different stain, different approach.
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Lift off the excess without spreading it. Scoop, don’t wipe.
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Flush from the back of the fabric with cool water so the syrup pushes out the way it came in, not deeper through the fibers.
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Once the sticky part is gone, what’s left is dye. Apply Wishing Well directly and let it sit 10 minutes.
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Wash in cool water according to the care label.
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Check before drying, always. Red dye is stubborn and heat turns stubborn into permanent.
The Spooky Punch Spill
One too many cups of witches’ brew? We’ve all been there. Cranberry, red wine, or something suspiciously red, it’s the same situation as the fake blood: sugar plus dye.
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Blot with a clean cloth. Don’t rub, rubbing just works it deeper.
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Stretch the fabric over a bowl and flush from the back with cool water poured from a few inches up. Let gravity push the stain out rather than through.
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Pretreat with Wishing Well and let it sit before washing.
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Wash according to the care label and check before drying.
The Spray Tan That Came With You
Your costume looked amazing. Unfortunately, your spray tan decided to make an appearance on it, too. The good news is this one usually comes out easily if you catch it before it sets.
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Blot up any excess with a clean cloth. Don’t rub.
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Keep the water cool. Heat is what turns a fresh tan smudge into a permanent one.
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Apply Wishing Well directly to the stain and work it in gently, then let it sit 5 to 10 minutes.
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For anything stubborn, dab on a mix of equal parts white vinegar and cool water and let that sit 5 to 10 minutes before washing.
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Wash according to the care label and check the stain before drying.
The Halloween Makeup That Didn’t Stay on Your Face
Full glam, face paint, or a last-minute costume transformation. Whatever your look, your clothes weren’t supposed to be part of it. How you treat it depends on what kind of makeup it was.
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Foundation, concealer, cream blush, and face paint. These are oil-based, so they need something that can cut through oil. Blot the excess, apply Wishing Well or a little dish soap directly, work it in gently, then rinse with cool water.
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Mascara and eyeliner. Dab with micellar water or makeup remover first, then rinse cool.
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Lipstick and lip stains. Dish soap, micellar water, or a few drops of rubbing alcohol, then rinse cool.
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Whatever the product, blot instead of rubbing. Rubbing pushes pigment deeper into the fibers.
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Wash according to the care label and check before drying.
A Little Magic Behind the Clean
The secret to tackling laundry’s messiest moments? A little Wishing Well.
Wishing Well’s ultra-concentrated detergent is powered by six enzymes that help break down the most difficult stains.
And because great clothes care should feel as good as it works, our detergent is thoughtfully formulated without dyes, parabens, phthalates, or optical brighteners.
No tricks. Just a little laundry magic.
Your Post-Halloween Reset Starts Here
The party’s over, the costume’s coming off, and your laundry pile is looking a little scary.
Consider this your sign to reset. Treat those stains, start a load, and let Wishing Well take care of the scaries while you recover from the weekend.
Because the only thing that should haunt you after Halloween is your camera roll.
Shop Wishing Well Detergent and give your clothes a little post-party TLC.