How to get old oil stains out of clothes

It's the worst feeling—you're enjoying a greasy piece of pizza or adding dressing to your favorite salad, and splash! A new oil stain lands on your clothes. Now, you're left wondering if you need to throw out your favorite shirt.

Table of Contents Show

Watch Now: How to Remove Cooking and Vegetable Oil Stains
How to Recognize Oil-Based Stains
How Soon Should You Wash an Oil Stain?
Blot, Blot, Blot
Choose a Soap and Treat the Stain
Launder Your Garment
Check Stain Once Load Is Finished
Repeat If Necessary Before Drying
Additional Tips For Getting Rid of Oil Stains
Oil Stains In Clothing FAQ
Lots More Information
Related HowStuffWorks Articles
How do you get oil out of clothes after they have been washed and dried?
How do you get tough oil stains out of clothes?
Can oil stains be removed after drying?
Are oil stains permanent on clothes?

Oil stains can be difficult to get rid of fully, and the first problem could be that they are difficult to see. You might overlook the stain as it blends in with the color of your clothing, a slightly darkened area on the laundry. Add to this the fact that oil stains can commonly reappear just when you think you've seen the last of them, and you've got a tough stain to deal with.

Watch Now: How to Remove Cooking and Vegetable Oil Stains

How to Recognize Oil-Based Stains

It's also important to understand what kind of oil-based stain you're dealing with. There are two main types: petroleum-based and vegetable-based.

Petroleum-based stains are typically caused by grease, motor oil, makeup, deodorant, and moisturizers.
Vegetable-based stains, on the other hand, come from things like cooking oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise, margarine, and butter.

Once you know what type of stain you're dealing with, you're ready to gather your supplies and tackle the pesky little problem.

How Soon Should You Wash an Oil Stain?

To put it simply: as soon as possible. Oil stains are some of the most difficult to remove unless you get to them immediately. If clothing and the oil stain dry, the stain may be set permanently. When you see an oil stain land, act fact, and read on to learn how to remove oil stains from clothing.

Materials

Cleaning Products

1 teaspoon mild dish soap
1 teaspoon laundry detergent

Blot, Blot, Blot
Once you see the stain, act fast. Grab a paper towel and gently blot to remove as much excess oil as possible. Don't press too hard, as you don't want to press the oil even deeper into the fabric. Light pressure should do the trick.
Choose a Soap and Treat the Stain
Once you're done blotting your stain, grab your rag or towel and get it damp. Next, choose your soap. For petroleum-based stains, use mild dish soap. For vegetable-based stains, grab your favorite laundry detergent.
Add a few drops of dish soap or detergent to the towel and gently rub the stain. You don't want to scrub as it may damage the fabric. Instead, use gentle pressure to get small suds going on the fabric. The suds will help break down the oil.

The Spruce / Jorge Gamboa
Launder Your Garment
Next, you're going to wash your clothes in the warmest water they can stand. The hot water will do a great job at penetrating the fibers and getting into the areas of the fabric that are holding on to the oil. If the fabric absolutely cannot take hot water, wash it in cold like normal, but the hotter, the better.

The Spruce / Jorge Gamboa
Check Stain Once Load Is Finished
For the moment of truth—when the wash is done, check the stain to see if it's still stuck in the fabric. This step is a little tricky, as oil stains can be hard to spot in wet fabric since they usually just make a dark mark. Do your best to figure out if the oil is really gone, and let the fabric air dry if necessary.
Repeat If Necessary Before Drying
If some oil still remains, repeat the process above until the stain is gone. do not dry clothes with oil stains in them. This will likely lock the stain into the fabric and create a permanent stain.

Additional Tips For Getting Rid of Oil Stains

If the oil is really stuck, you can try pretreating the stain with baking soda or cornstarch. This will help absorb the excess oil before you stain the soap and hot water process.
For durable fabric, you can also use a butter knife to scrape some of the oil off the top of the stain before treating it.
If you have a stain that is a combination of an oily stain and another type of stain, deal with the oil first.
If you're struggling to tell whether or not an oil stain was removed before drying, let the fabric air dry instead. If after that no darkness remains, you're okay to machine dry like normal.

Can you get tough stains out of clothes once the stains are washed in? Steve Baccon/Getty Images

One of the simple, unavoidable facts of life is that stains happen, no matter how careful we are with our glasses of red wine or simmering pans of spaghetti sauce. Unfortunately, every stain reacts differently to the myriad cleaning methods out there, so success isn't guaranteed on the first try, even if you do everything right from the very moment the blemish occurs. Many people throw in the towel, so to speak, after the garment in question has been put through the washing machine to less than stellar results. There's no need to give up on your favorite tee, though! Whether your pretreatment failed or you simply didn't notice the stain before tossing it in the wash, there are plenty of ways to eliminate pesky blemishes. In fact, almost all stains will come out with some extra elbow grease (pun intended). So lather, rinse and repeat as much as necessary, using any or all of these handy tips and tricks!

My go-to stain removal technique is appallingly easy. Just rub a little bit of liquid detergent directly onto the stain, let it soak in and then run it through the washer again. Some experts swear by liquid dishwashing detergent used in the same fashion. Hey, it's all soap, right?
Stain-removal sprays and sticks have come a long way in recent years. A squirt or two of the good stuff usually does the trick. Just make sure you follow the given directions or it won't be as effective.
For grease marks caused by substances like salad dressing or cooking oils, simply rub a stick of white chalk into the stain to absorb the offending spot and then run it through the washer again.
Adding baking soda to the wash and then running the garment through again is another effective method for getting rid of oil or grease stains.
If that annoying oil stain still hasn't budged, consider rubbing some corn starch directly into it and washing it yet again.
Occasionally, kids or crafty adults get a little overzealous with glue sticks -- and their clothes pay the price. Unfortunately, glue can leave a stain even after the substance has been peeled or scraped off. Acetone, which is found in nail polish remover, is generally very effective at getting rid of glue-based blemishes. Make sure the fabric you're treating is colorfast and machine washable, though, since acetone can cause the fabric to become further discolored.
Bleach is very harsh and often less effective than most stain removal aids, so try to avoid using it when possible. If you feel like it's your only option, though, start with diluted oxygen bleach and move on to chlorine bleach if necessary.
Really old, stubborn stains sometimes respond best to liquid glycerin. Rub it in, let it soak and then launder again.

Whatever you do, try to avoid putting stained items in the dryer because the heat often causes the discoloration to set permanently.

Originally Published: Apr 12, 2012

Oil Stains In Clothing FAQ

What home remedy removes oil from clothes?

Start by blotting the stain as soon as possible after getting oil or grease on the clothing. Next, use dish soap (adding some baking soda if the stain is especially stubborn). Agitate the stain with a soft toothbrush or sponge. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes, then rinse the clothing before putting it in the washing machine on a regular cycle.

Can you remove oil stains from clothes after they have been laundered?

Yes, you should be able to. Soak the item of clothing in warm water, then apply a few drops of dish soap on the stain. Hold the material around the stain and start rubbing the sides against each other to work up a lather. This will help the fabric absorb the soap. Let it sit for about an hour or so before putting it through the washing machine. Make sure to air-dry the item to avoid setting any remaining oil. Repeat as necessary.

Are baking soda and vinegar helpful in removing oil stains?

Yes, they are. Douse the stain with white vinegar, then apply a paste made of equal parts baking soda and vinegar. If this doesn't work, immerse the item overnight in a bucket of water containing a few tablespoons of detergent and vinegar. Rinse and wash the following morning.

Lots More Information

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Sources

Keenan, Alene. "The Science of Laundry Onboard." The Triton. April 6, 2012. (April 22, 2012) http://thetriton.com/column/2012/04/science-laundry-onboard
Martha Stewart. "How to Wash and Remove Stains." 2012. (April 22, 2012) http://www.marthastewart.com/275491/how-to-wash-and-remove-stains/@center/277000/homekeeping-solutions#/166477
Martha Stewart. "Lipstick Stains." 2012. (April 22, 2012) http://www.marthastewart.com/270277/lipstick-stains
McNatt, Cindy. "Be green in your spring cleaning at home." The Orange County Register. March 16, 2012. (April 22, 2012) http://www.ocregister.com/articles/clean-344975-cleaning-soda.html
San Francisco Chronicle. "Just in Time for Spring Cleaning..." April 1, 2012. (April 22, 2012) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/04/01/prweb9356415.DTL
Shea, Courtney. "How to get rid of stubborn stains." The Globe and Mail. April 9, 2012. (April 22, 2012) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/spring-cleaning/how-to-get-rid-of-stubborn-stains/article2387439/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Life&utm_content=2387439
The Washington Post. "Hints From Heloise: Glue gives instant stains." April 1, 2012. (April 22, 2012) http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/hints-from-heloise-glue-gives-instant-stains/2012/03/20/gIQABT1XpS_story.html

How do you get oil out of clothes after they have been washed and dried?

Are baking soda and vinegar helpful in removing oil stains? Yes, they are. Douse the stain with white vinegar, then apply a paste made of equal parts baking soda and vinegar. If this doesn't work, immerse the item overnight in a bucket of water containing a few tablespoons of detergent and vinegar.

How do you get tough oil stains out of clothes?

Step-by-step instructions to clean oil stains.

Step 1: Blot out the stain. ... .

Step 2: Apply dish soap. ... .

Step 3: Rub baking soda (for stubborn stains) ... .

Step 4: Rinse and soak in hot water. ... .

Step 5: Wash and air dry. ... .

Step 6: Soak in bleach and water (for stubborn stains).

Can oil stains be removed after drying?

Pour dish detergent onto the stain area and rub in with the brush. Allow the detergent to sit for 30 minutes. Wash as usual. Air dry, again to make sure the oil stain is actually gone.

Are oil stains permanent on clothes?

Instead of a brightly colored stain, oil leaves a greasy patch behind that's slightly darker than the surrounding fabric. When it comes to greasy stains, the danger is that the longer you leave that oil spot unattended, the darker it will become over time, and if left too long, it can also set permanently.