How to Remove Oil Stains from Clothing in 6 Simple Steps

How to remove oil stains from clothing quickly and successfully? To remove oil stains from your clothes and mind, follow our step-by-step instructions.

Stains from oil and grease on clothing are the worst kind of annoyance. It also occurs so unassumingly. You can quickly become a mess by taking a big bite out of a juicy hamburger or by standing over a splattering pan without an apron.

Because we spend so much time in our favourite clothes, we can’t keep them looking good forever. You never anticipate stains, but they seem to have you in mind—like the grease that spills directly onto your shirt from a pan!

You don’t have to throw out your favourite shirt because of an accident. You must at least attempt to save it. For the best advice on how to get rid of oil and grease stains that won’t go away, simply follow the short steps listed below.

A. How to Remove Oil Stains from Clothing?

1. What Makes it Hard to Get Rid of Oil Stains?

Without any doubt, grease and oil are among the most difficult stains to remove from clothing. They can be hard to completely clean out, but the sooner you try, the better. The stain, the fabric’s material and colour, and how you try to clean it all affect your chances of success.

Even though the stains may initially appear to be insignificant, they tend to darken the fabric over time as they set, so it is essential to work to remove them as soon as possible. The oil and grease will be more absorbed the longer you wait. The stain will be much more difficult to remove once it has dried, and it may irreparably damage your clothing.

2. What you’ll Need to Clean Oil Stains from Clothes

It is much easier to get rid of an oil stain with the right products and methods.

Paper towels
Dish soap
Hot water
A toothbrush
Baking soda
Colour-safe bleach (if desired)
WD-40, and cotton swabs (if desired, for stains that are already present)

3. Step-by-Step Instructions to Clean Oil Stains

Step 1: Blot Out the Stain

As soon as you notice a stain, try blotting it out with a napkin or paper towel to remove as much oil as possible. When you begin washing it, it will make it simpler to altogether remove the stain.

Try not to rub, as doing so will only push the grease deeper into the fabric’s fibres and reduce your chances of successfully removing it completely.

Step 2: Apply Dish Soap

Apply a few drops of dish soap to the stain by placing the fabric on a flat surface. To loosen the oil and grease, rub the fabric together with your hands or apply soap with a toothbrush.

Step 3: Rub Baking Soda into the Stain

Scrub the stain with a toothbrush after applying dish soap and baking soda to it to remove stubborn stains. Allow it to sit for a while so that the baking soda hardens and covers the stain.

Step 4: After Washing, Soak in Hot Water

You can then rinse the fabric with hot water after allowing the dish soap and baking soda to work their magic for about an hour. After that, soak the cloth for an additional hour in hot water.

Step 5: Wash and Air Dry

Wash the cloth in warm water in the washing machine when the stain is almost gone, then let it air dry. You can repeat the steps if the stain is not entirely removed.

Step 6: Soak in Bleach and Water (for stains that won’t go away)

We are not big fans of bleach because of the negative effects it has on the environment, but we are aware that some stains necessitate drastic action. If the fabric has been washed and dried but is still stained, soak it for about an hour in colour-safe bleach and warm water. As usual, wash and dry.

Pro Tip: The key is to clean a stain as soon as it appears on the fabric, so don’t wait to tackle it. The oil and grease will be more absorbed the longer you wait. The stain will be much more difficult to remove once it has dried, and it may irreparably damage your clothing.

B. Oil Stain Removal Tips & Tricks

1. What Home Remedies can be Used to Get Rid of Oil Stains on Clothing?

On oil-stained clothing, liquid detergent, white vinegar, and warm water can perform an amazing trick.

2. How do you Get Motor Oil out of Clothes?

Whether it’s cooking oil or motor oil, oil is oil. As a result, you take it out of clothes the same way: Apply dish soap (and possibly some baking soda for tough stains like motor oil), scrub with a toothbrush, try to remove as much of the stain as possible, rinse, soak in hot water, and then run it through the washing machine.

3. How do you Get Oil Stains out of Jeans?

Oil stains on jeans should be treated in the same way as any other stain on clothing. Since jeans are typically made of natural fibres, they are typically easier to remove than clothing made of synthetic fibres.

Blot first—don’t scrub! the stain to prevent it from settling into the fabric. If you are out at a restaurant and are unable to remove your jeans, for instance, you can try applying salt or artificial sweeteners to the stain to absorb the oil until you can wash your jeans thoroughly at home with dish soap.

4. Which is Better for Removing Stains, Hot or Cold Water?

At room temperature, oils, and greases remain semisolid, necessitating liquefaction for complete removal. When washing fabric, warm or hot water is the most effective method for melting grease.

5. How Can Dried Oil Stains be Removed from Clothing?

However, there are a few methods you can employ to remove dried oil stains from clothing. First, you’ll need to try using hot water to get the oil stain back to being liquid. If that doesn’t work, adding a little more oil might help it come back to life. Most people have the best results using WD-40, which is applied with cotton swabs and sprayed into a bowl.

Be careful not to let the oil stain the back of the clothing item. After that, treat the stain with dishwashing liquid, soak the stain with baking soda, wash, dry, and proceed as usual. An aside: Never dry a garment that has been stained with oil. The oil will be set when heated to a high temperature, making stain removal nearly impossible.

6. Are Oil Stains Irreversible?

They might be. The key is to quickly treat them and blot them. They are more likely to be permanent the longer you wait. Unfortunately, even if you try your hardest to get rid of oil, there are times when a stain stays. The fibres of your fabric may contribute to the stubbornness of your grease stains.

Polyester and other synthetic fibres are difficult to clean because they attract oil and grease particles like white rice. This means that stains like these could become permanent if you don’t take care of them properly, causing you to toss your favourite shirt in the trash.

7. Is White Vinegar a Degreaser?

Yes, white vinegar, also called distilled vinegar, can be used as a degreaser on its own. Apply the vinegar-water mixture to the grease by simply cutting it in half. When the item is dry, especially if you wash it, the vinegar smell usually goes away. Before using stains, always test in a dark area.

8. When Removing Oil Stains, What Mistakes Should You Avoid Making?

When dealing with an oil stain, the top three mistakes to avoid are:

i) Rubbing:

To begin, rub an inconspicuous area of the garment with a cotton ball or cotton cloth that has been soaked in a few drops of lemon juice or alcohol. Give the fabric time to dry. Rub the stain with a second cotton ball that has been wetted, but do not oversaturate the fabric if there is no discolouration. Let it dry.

A stain, including oil stains, should always be blotted, never rubbed.

ii) Waiting:

Always try to address an oil stain right away, even if you’re outside, so it doesn’t dry and settle into the fabric.

iii) Utilizing icy water:

Oil stains are, well, oil and water and oil don’t mix well together. If you want to use water on an oil stain, wait until it has dried (then use hot water). Instead, try blotting the area with a towel to remove the oil from the fibres.

Keep in mind that removing oil from clothing requires speed. You should be able to easily remove an unsightly oil stain from your clothes if you work quickly. This is good news for that beloved shirt!