Laundry advice please

[lilmomma]

I do not usually wear an apron when cooking, but I should because my shirts have all kinds of stains on them. I am pretty good at getting the food stains out, but I seem to have a lot of grease stains still on the clothes. I have used Borax, Oxyclean and Shout. But I still see the stains. How do you get your food stains out?

[mschow]

Sadly, I'm a bit of a slob, so I feel that I can offer some expert advice on this topic. I have tried EVERYTHING on the market, but nothing comes close to a product called Greased Lightening. I actually picked up a bottle of it by accident, and no go into full panic when I can't find it in the store, It's excellent for cleaning ovens, stove tops, counters, anywhere you get grease. And, it does an outstanding job on grease spots on clothes. Better than Spray and Wash, Zout, Oxiclean or anything else I have ever tried. I am also a huge fan of Dawn, but have to say that Greased Lightening does a better job. In fact, I can honestly say that I would do a commercial for this product, that's how good it is.

http://www.greased-lightning.com/

[EWSflash]

When you have grease stains, you NEED to use a degreaser. Period. Dish soap is good if applied soon after the stain happens. There are other products out there that degrease well, but the most important thing is NOT TO DRY THE ITEM IN THE DRYER UNTIL THE STAIN IS GONE. Heat will set the stain permanently. And don't EVEN wash the item in hot water- stain setting.
This is the honest truth.

[beevod]

I don't. I'm a proud eater.

[roxlet]

When I have stains that I call persistent shadow stains (there is a ghost-like remainder), I wash the offending clothes with a tiny bit of bleach. If the bleach is well-disolved in the water and is not too heavy a solution, it does not seem to affect the colored clothing.

[WCchopper]

There is this stuff called D-solvit or something like that. I'm pretty sure it's orange oil based and has been effective in our house for getting out the grease. Was even used to get tar out of jeans

[ipsedixit]

Shampoo or corn starch.

[westsidegal]

Zout.
i put the stuff on the stain and put the garment in the laundry hamper.
in the next day or so i wash the item.

[meatn3]

My first step in stain removal is wetting the spot with cold water and rubbing Dr. Bronner's soap on it, then soaking in cold water over night. This works on 90% of my stain issues.

[Midlife]

Cotton and oil (or grease) do not get along at all. I'm taking lots of notes from this topic. If any of them really work I will be eternally grateful.

[onceadaylily]

I found that a little dishwashing soap and a toothbrush removes just about anything. Aprons are sturdy enough so that damage to the fabric isn't really a concern. I think the toothbrush helps work the soap into the stain a bit better than otherwise.

[queencru]

I soak overnight in Biz and then put Resolve/Shout on it for 5 minutes before I put it in the washer. That seems to get out some of the tougher stains.

[DGresh]

grease stains can be tough. Multiple runs through the machine using regular detergent do nothing. I use "goo gone" on it (let it sit for 20 minutes or more first). Goo Gone is a great product to have around for removing stickers, gum, etc.

[schmoopy]

I second the use of Zout. It's the best stain remover I've ever used. Works remarkably well on just about all kinds of stains.

[iluvcookies]

For grease stains I rub a little dishwashing liquid (such as Palmolive or Dawn) into the stain, lather and rinse well. Then wash as usual.
Grease stains are particularly persistent on polyester but this technique has worked well for me in the past. Borax and Oxyclean aren't soaps so they really don't help to break up the grease.