Oil or grease is one of the toughest stains to remove from clothing. But, it’s not impossible. There are a few things to keep in mind. New stains will be easier to remove than set-in stains. Whenever possible, treat the stain sooner rather than later and definitely, before it has been in the dryer. The heat from the dryer will set the stain. Once a stain sets, it’s much harder to treat.
How to treat new or small stains
If your stain is new and small, all you may need to do is blot out excess oil with a paper towel, then rub in some dish soap. Make sure the dish soap really gets into the fibers. You can rub the dish soap into the fabric either by rubbing the fabric against itself (be careful not to transfer the oil to another part of the garment) or brushing it with a toothbrush. Let your garment sit for 10 minutes and then throw it into the washing machine. Dish soaps are formulated to break down grease so it also works on grease stains on clothes. Any brand will work, but you’ll have to use more or less depending on your dish soap’s ability to fight grease. Dawn works well for us. Be sure to line dry after machine washing to see if the dish soap removed the stain. It’s hard to tell for sure when the garment is wet so this is an important step. If not, repeat the process until the stain is removed before putting the item into the dryer.
How to remove larger oil stains
For larger oil stains, you’ll need to do a baking soda treatment before applying dish soap. Follow these steps:
- Lay the garment flat and put a piece of cardboard under the grease stain, so it doesn’t transfer to another part of the garment. You can repurpose old boxes or fold/roll up a towel for this.
- Cover the stain with a generous layer of baking soda. The baking soda will draw oil into itself, and it may clump. Let this sit undisturbed for a couple of hours. If you don’t have baking soda, cornstarch also works.
- When ready, scrub the baking soda further into the stain with a toothbrush. If there’s a lot of clumping, you may need to apply additional baking soda to continue soaking up the oil. Then remove as much baking soda as possible.
- Apply a thin layer of dish soap and rub it into the fabric thoroughly. Do not soak the garment in dish soap because it’s very foamy and not made for your washing machine. It may cause it to overflow.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes, then toss the garment into the washing machine.
- After washing, check to see if the stain has been removed after line drying before putting the garment into the dryer. If the oil is still there, rub in some more dish soap and repeat the process from step 4.
This hack has saved many articles of clothing for us. We hope it can do the same for you.
If you have other stains to remove, see this handy chart here.
Read more posts about Parenthood
