[General] and then forgotten to remove it

[albert210]

Hello

Does "remove" here mean "take away/take off" or does it mean "clean/wipe"?

She wore a hat with a small veil that hung in front of her face, as if she had blown her nose with a black lacy handkerchief, and then forgotten to remove it, and on her feet she had a pair of shoes with stiletto heels.


"Hostile Hospital," Novel by Daniel Handler

 

[emsr2d2]

In this context, it means "take away". After you blow your nose on a handkerchief, you take it away from your face.
In the general context of clothing, though, "remove" means "take off".

"Remove" means "clean/wipe" only when followed by the substance that is being removed. "You need to remove the smears from the mirror".