How to Remove Oil Stains
Remove excess oil immediately with a rag or paper towel., If working with clothes, use a cardboard insert., Apply talc or baking soda to the stain., Work grease-cutting dish soap into the stain., Pre-treat the stain with detergent., Place your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Remove excess oil immediately with a rag or paper towel.
When it comes to oil stains, the more oil you can get out of the fabric before it sets, the better.
As soon as you notice a stain on your clothing, try to blot out as much of the oil as you can with a rag or paper towel.
This won't prevent a stain by itself, but it will make the stain as minor as possible as well as helping to make the stain easier to remove.
If the stain is caused by a thicker oil, such as butter, mayonnaise or car grease, try scraping up the excess oil with a butter knife, rubbing it on a paper towel, and discarding it.
Be sure to use a blotting motion to remove the oil.
Don't try to rub the stain out — this can spread the oil, rather than removing it. -
Step 2: If working with clothes
The method in this section should work for oil stains in most fabrics, including those used in clothing.
If your oil stain is in a piece of clothing, be sure to insert a thin piece of cardboard, plastic, or another non-permeable material into the clothing under the stain before you start to treat it.
This keeps the oil from soaking through to the layer underneath and also prevents any cleaning materials you use from doing the same.
For other types of fabric, like sheets and upholstery, you may not need to (or simply may not be able to) use an insert to protect any layers of fabric under the first. , To soak up extra oil that's already worked its way into the fabric, try using a neutral absorbent powder like baking soda, talc, baby powder, etc.
Gently work the powder into the fabric with an old toothbrush to soak up excess oil.
You should notice solid clumps of powder begin to form — this means that your powder is beginning to absorb the oil.
Dust the clumps off as they form and continue scrubbing.
Add more powder as needed.
You'll want to gently brush until you notice the solid clumps of powder becoming infrequent (this usually takes about five minutes or less).
When you're finished, wash the powder out by rinsing lightly with water and scrubbing gently with the same toothbrush you used to work it in. , Next, grab a bottle of liquid dish soap (note: not dishwasher soap) and squeeze a small drop onto your stain.
Wet your toothbrush with water, then gently scrub the soap into the fabric.
Scrub for about two to five minutes to allow the soap to dissolve the oil in the fabric.
If you're working with a piece of fabric that can't go in the washing machine, like, for instance, a delicate wool scarf or a section of upholstery on your couch, you may now want to wet your toothbrush and work the water into the fabric as a makeshift "rinse".
Allow to dry, then repeat the steps above as needed (or see below for alternatives). , If you're dealing with an oil stain in clothing or another piece of fabric that can go in your washing machine, you'll want to finish your stain-removal cycle by tossing your item in the wash.
Before doing this, apply a small amount of your laundry detergent directly onto the stain and gently scrub it in with your toothbrush.
Applying detergent directly to a stain before washing is an old stain-removal trick that useful for nearly all types of stains.
The extra detergent ensures that the affected area receives an especially deep cleaning during the wash cycle. , Add your pre-treated clothing or fabric to the washing machine with a load of similar items.
Follow all directions on your clothing or fabric's care label when picking your wash settings.
For the greatest cleaning power, use the largest amount of detergent and the hottest temperature of water allowed.
When your load is finished, machine or air dry it as your normally would.
If you used an insert, don't forget to remove it before adding your item to the wash. , When your garment or fabric is completely dry, check the area of the stain for any remaining oil or discoloration.
At this point, most minor stains should be completely removed.
However, heavy stains, dried-on stains, and stains from especially thick oils may require several cycles to completely remove.
If you're dealing with a white piece of fabric, you can try treating your stain with bleach to remove any lingering discoloration on your subsequent cycles as long as you make sure to wash your item in a load of whites. , For most clothing and fabrics, the method above, which uses only common household materials, should work well for removing the majority of oil stains.
However, it's far from the only method used for this task.
Many different methods which use less-common materials also exist — if you're having trouble removing a particularly stubborn stain, you may want to try using one of the solutions below in your stain-removal routine.
Acetone:
This chemical, often used as a nail polish remover, is sold in most health and beauty stores.
Be sure to use only pure acetone — not an acetone-based product with fragrances or dyes.
Drizzle acetone directly onto your stain and dab with a towel to spread it.
Repeat as needed, then soak up the acetone and launder as normal.
Note that acetone should not be used with modacrylic, acetate, triacetate, or natural hair fibers like silk and wool, as it can damage these fibers.Rubbing alcohol:
Isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, is a natural de-greasing agent sold in most department stores.
Try treating your stain by dabbing it with a cloth soaked in alcohol before laundering.
Spray lubricants:
Believe it or not, some spray-on lubricants like WD-40 can be used to help remove oil stains.
Try spraying the affected area with lubricant, then allowing it to sit for about half an hour while the lubricant soaks in.
Finally, pre-treat your fabric with detergent and wash as described above. -
Step 3: use a cardboard insert.
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Step 4: Apply talc or baking soda to the stain.
-
Step 5: Work grease-cutting dish soap into the stain.
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Step 6: Pre-treat the stain with detergent.
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Step 7: Place your clothing or fabric in the laundry.
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Step 8: Repeat as needed.
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Step 9: Try alternative stain-removing solutions.
Detailed Guide
When it comes to oil stains, the more oil you can get out of the fabric before it sets, the better.
As soon as you notice a stain on your clothing, try to blot out as much of the oil as you can with a rag or paper towel.
This won't prevent a stain by itself, but it will make the stain as minor as possible as well as helping to make the stain easier to remove.
If the stain is caused by a thicker oil, such as butter, mayonnaise or car grease, try scraping up the excess oil with a butter knife, rubbing it on a paper towel, and discarding it.
Be sure to use a blotting motion to remove the oil.
Don't try to rub the stain out — this can spread the oil, rather than removing it.
The method in this section should work for oil stains in most fabrics, including those used in clothing.
If your oil stain is in a piece of clothing, be sure to insert a thin piece of cardboard, plastic, or another non-permeable material into the clothing under the stain before you start to treat it.
This keeps the oil from soaking through to the layer underneath and also prevents any cleaning materials you use from doing the same.
For other types of fabric, like sheets and upholstery, you may not need to (or simply may not be able to) use an insert to protect any layers of fabric under the first. , To soak up extra oil that's already worked its way into the fabric, try using a neutral absorbent powder like baking soda, talc, baby powder, etc.
Gently work the powder into the fabric with an old toothbrush to soak up excess oil.
You should notice solid clumps of powder begin to form — this means that your powder is beginning to absorb the oil.
Dust the clumps off as they form and continue scrubbing.
Add more powder as needed.
You'll want to gently brush until you notice the solid clumps of powder becoming infrequent (this usually takes about five minutes or less).
When you're finished, wash the powder out by rinsing lightly with water and scrubbing gently with the same toothbrush you used to work it in. , Next, grab a bottle of liquid dish soap (note: not dishwasher soap) and squeeze a small drop onto your stain.
Wet your toothbrush with water, then gently scrub the soap into the fabric.
Scrub for about two to five minutes to allow the soap to dissolve the oil in the fabric.
If you're working with a piece of fabric that can't go in the washing machine, like, for instance, a delicate wool scarf or a section of upholstery on your couch, you may now want to wet your toothbrush and work the water into the fabric as a makeshift "rinse".
Allow to dry, then repeat the steps above as needed (or see below for alternatives). , If you're dealing with an oil stain in clothing or another piece of fabric that can go in your washing machine, you'll want to finish your stain-removal cycle by tossing your item in the wash.
Before doing this, apply a small amount of your laundry detergent directly onto the stain and gently scrub it in with your toothbrush.
Applying detergent directly to a stain before washing is an old stain-removal trick that useful for nearly all types of stains.
The extra detergent ensures that the affected area receives an especially deep cleaning during the wash cycle. , Add your pre-treated clothing or fabric to the washing machine with a load of similar items.
Follow all directions on your clothing or fabric's care label when picking your wash settings.
For the greatest cleaning power, use the largest amount of detergent and the hottest temperature of water allowed.
When your load is finished, machine or air dry it as your normally would.
If you used an insert, don't forget to remove it before adding your item to the wash. , When your garment or fabric is completely dry, check the area of the stain for any remaining oil or discoloration.
At this point, most minor stains should be completely removed.
However, heavy stains, dried-on stains, and stains from especially thick oils may require several cycles to completely remove.
If you're dealing with a white piece of fabric, you can try treating your stain with bleach to remove any lingering discoloration on your subsequent cycles as long as you make sure to wash your item in a load of whites. , For most clothing and fabrics, the method above, which uses only common household materials, should work well for removing the majority of oil stains.
However, it's far from the only method used for this task.
Many different methods which use less-common materials also exist — if you're having trouble removing a particularly stubborn stain, you may want to try using one of the solutions below in your stain-removal routine.
Acetone:
This chemical, often used as a nail polish remover, is sold in most health and beauty stores.
Be sure to use only pure acetone — not an acetone-based product with fragrances or dyes.
Drizzle acetone directly onto your stain and dab with a towel to spread it.
Repeat as needed, then soak up the acetone and launder as normal.
Note that acetone should not be used with modacrylic, acetate, triacetate, or natural hair fibers like silk and wool, as it can damage these fibers.Rubbing alcohol:
Isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, is a natural de-greasing agent sold in most department stores.
Try treating your stain by dabbing it with a cloth soaked in alcohol before laundering.
Spray lubricants:
Believe it or not, some spray-on lubricants like WD-40 can be used to help remove oil stains.
Try spraying the affected area with lubricant, then allowing it to sit for about half an hour while the lubricant soaks in.
Finally, pre-treat your fabric with detergent and wash as described above.
About the Author
Judith Rogers
Specializes in breaking down complex cooking topics into simple steps.
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