Removing Oil Stains From Fabric - Any foolproof methods?

[Breadcrumbs]

The best I've found so far is to rub Palmolive dish soap into fresh oil stains. This doesn't always work though.

What do you do?

[Disneyfreak]

Another remedy is artifical sweetener. I saw this on a tv segment with Hints from Heloise. She poured olive oil on a silk blouse. Then she put sweetener on the stain to help blot it. The sweetener is so fine that it goes into the stain and absorbs. Let it sit and then wash the garment. I tried it with a pair of khakis that I spilled on and it did work. You can do it right at a restaurant -- depending on where the stain is.

[Jerseygirl111]

Agree with rednails, Lestoil is fantastic. It even gets out old grease/oil stains on clothes. Or you can buy Naptha which is very strong but works like crazy. I keep it in a spray bottle in my laundry room and the Lestoil in an old dish detergent bottle with the pull up top. Easy to apply!

[bulavinaka]

What ever soap, detergent or stain remover you use, work the stain from both sides of the fabric when ever possible.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks so much to everyone who posted their great suggestions and T&T methods here. I'm back to report that I'm thrilled to have found a method that works for me!!!

I picked up a bottle of Dawn dish detergent and haven't looked back. I pour it on the stain, rub it in, allow it to sit (timeframe depends on how old the stain is) and . . . I have yet to find a stain this wonderful detergent can't tackle! I even pulled out my most stained cooking shirts and they all came clean!! I can't believe it!

Thanks so much again to everyone!

[mcf]

Dawn is very high in surfactants, that's why it also dries your skin so much, cuts grease so well. If you ever need to amp up the grease removal (like when the windshield washer container of my car was filled with turkey fryer oil by mistake) just by a refill bottle of concentrated Healthy Harvest fruit and vegetable cleaner. I didn't have to replace the car reservoir after using it to remove the turkey oil residue, and no longer smell fried turkey every time I spritz.

[Duppie]

I venture that there is a really funny story there.....
Frier oil deposited in a old washer fluid bottle and forgotten in the garage....cold dark rainy morning....curses that can never be repeated again if you tried... yep been there.

[mcf]

Got the first part right. Sent DD to the garage to get a refill and didn't notice the color was off til the brown sediment at the bottom appeared as she was pouring it in... Husband too embarrassed to take it to dealer (he'd left it there for MONTHS as if it might go up in value, his habit). The day I forgot NOT to use it when empty, I was blinded by the smear of grease and smell of T'day gone rancid. But it makes my recommendation of Healthy Harvest concentrate all the more persuasive for the grease that ails ya, dontcha think? After having it siphoned out by the dealer, it took a few cycles of fresh washer fluid with high amounts of HH added to get it completely clear.

[bulavinaka]

I have never heard anything like this before - no one will top this one.

[rednails]

Lestoil is a very, very heavy duty detergent that always works for me. It is very thick, almost a gel. You prewash the item (or just wet it), pour the stuff on the spot, and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. Warning--it has a very strong smell. Rinse well (it will take a lot of water to get the smell out), let dry and repeat if needed. It's a hassle but this stuff works. I can't find it in the Bay Area so bring it back from NYC when I visit.

[CindyJ]

There's a product called "Incredible" that I always keep on hand that does an "incredible" job on grease stains. I buy it at Bed Bath & Beyond. I squirt it onto the stain straight from the bottle. I let it soak in for a minute or so, then I pour a little liquid laundry detergent on top of the treated spot and pop the garment into the wash along with the rest of the laundry and remaining detergent. It's really pretty amazing stuff. It's best to use it when the stain first occurs, but I've even used it a couple of days afterward with remarkable results.

[CocoDan]

Here's a method I was taught by a friend in the fabric treating business. Has worked every time, on all fabrics. Baby powder. Here are the steps:
1. Layout garment on a flat surface with stained area smoothed out.
2. Liberally sprinkle power on stain.
3. Tap in gently with finger.
4. Allow to sit overnight.
5. Over the bath tub (or out on the back porch), brush off with a good clothes brush. (You may
have to brush vigorously on a flat surface to get out the powder that got absorbed into fabric.)
6. Look at stained area and say, WOW, that really works!

It has never failed me.
Enjoy,
CocoDan

[shallots]

Re baby powder, are you using the talc baby powder or the corn starch baby powder?

[CocoDan]

I beleive J&J baby powder is corn startch. It has worked 100% of the time for me, except once when there was a little bit of tomato mixed in with the oil. I'm forever splashing salad dressing on my dress shirts. Oil always comes out.
Enjoy,
CocoDan

[Caitlin McGrath]

Johnson's baby powder is talc: http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/johnsons-...

[JoanN]

Saw test results recently, don't recall where, that Shout Advanced Action Gel is the most effective of the pre-wash treatment products. Been using it ever since and I think it works better than Dawn, which is what I used to use.

I've also had good experiences with a product called Greased Lightning. It's great for grease that can build up in the kitchen over time (at least, in my kitchen) and I've gotten out some badly set in grease stains on clothing with it as well.

[roxlet]

Have you found a solution for those stains I call "shadow" stains? You've treated the stain, you've washed the garment, and yet there is a remaining stain that is particularly apparent on dark fabrics.

[JoanN]

I've had some success, but not total, with the Shout Advanced product. Problem is, once you've dried the garment, the stain is much more difficult to remove, and those stains are very hard to see on damp, dark, material. It often takes several treatments. It also seems to help if you pre-treat and then let the garment sit for a few days before washing.

[Caitlin McGrath]

It's not foolproof, but my MO is, if possible, to get the pretreatment on the garment ASAP, even if I won't be washing it right away, then hang it to dry rather than put it in the dryer - especially with darker things where it's not always apparent whether it came out when it's still wet. Unfortunately, IME, it's dark things where the stains are most likely to elude me in the first place and become set in the dryer before I discover them.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I've found that, of the laundry pre-wash treatments I've tried, Zout is way more effective than Shout or Spray 'n Wash, and OxiClean can bleach darker colors. But I'm going to be looking for Stain Devils, now.

[josephnl]

If we're talking oil on a fine piece of clothing, say a silk shirt or even fine cotton, the safest bet is dry cleaning.

[onceadaylily]

I've found that dish detergents and hand soaps work just as well, and sometimes better, than laundry soaps, especially if I use a wet toothbrush to gently work the soap into the spots themselves (I let it sit for a bit after that, before putting it into the washing machine). My boyfriend comes home spattered with butter and oil, and I've found that just soaking the shirt with whatever I was using didn't cut it. But the toothbrush works every time.

[Breadcrumbs]

Hah, I've just been rubbing w the dish soap oadl. I'll see how I make out w the toothbrush, good idea!!

[Duppie]

Dawn, Shout,Oxi Clean,Spray and wash and the rest work on rather fresh oil/grease stains but if you have older oil stains that you've run through the wash and dry cycle numerous times, try to find Stain Devils by Carbona. There are several types depending on the stains.Blood,wine,dye.ink,oil and some others but it's only worth it on old,stubborn dried in stains.
I used it on years old grease stains on some black polo shirts that was regulated to car and yard work and now completely stain free.

[Breadcrumbs]

Duppie where do you buy Stain Devils? Do you find it at your supermarket or a specialty store? I'm excited to find this!! Thanks!

[Duppie]

Here in New Jersey I buy it at our local grocery chain called Shoprite and the most popular are always the ones for blood,oil/grease, and wine . They are usually in the laundry detergent aisle in 1.7 oz yellow containers. good luck.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks Duppie, if I can't find them here I'll pick some up next time we're in Buffalo. Much appreciated!!

[enbell]

Also vouching for Stain Devils - love the different varieties. I get them at my regular grocery store.

[DGresh]

I use "goo gone" which is also great on chewing gum. It's petroleum based which I think is really the only thing that works well on oil stains.

[Duppie]

I used to soak my aprons and whites in Super Clean by castrol and it worked very well on grease stains but I ended up smelling like a scrubbed garage floor.

[vafarmwife]

Oxi Clean powder in the little tabs or the Oxi Clean in a spray bottle. I swear by it to clean my husband's greasy work clothes. And we're talking motor oil, hydraulic oil and gear grease.

[Breadcrumbs]

That's interesting vafarmwife, I've used Oxi Clean on wine stains but never oil and grease. Thanks for the idea.

[pamf]

OxiClean has a relatively new product that is a gel formulation. I find this to be much more effective than the spray bottle for spot treating clothes prior to washing.

For things like work clothes, I would think that pre-soaking would be best?

[melpy]

I am using the spray and it has been the best stain remover so far although oil can be stubborn. Better than shout and zout.

[linguafood]

Yep. Never knew about this until about a year ago - thought oil stains can't be removed. Cue any dish detergent. Works like a charm.

Now.... soy sauce stains -- there's a tricky one.

[Sasqatch]

I had a nice new white shirt on in a sushi restaurant one evening, and managed to splash a good amount of soy sauce on my sleeve. There goes 80 bucks, said I. The head chef saw it and in the best Japanese tradition got that stern look and said "crub soDAH!" Someone brought a bottle of club soda, which he suggested I pour on the stain. I did, it disappeared like magic, still use it on soy sauce to this day.

[linguafood]

Interesting! I thought soy stains are the end. Good to know.

[inaplasticcup]

Shout with Resolve seems to work really well...

[sueatmo]

This is the method I would use. I used to use Spray and Wash, but that product has been discontinued. In my experience Dawn is overrated. It doesn't budge greasy residue on my kitchen cabinets for instance. And there was that article by Cons. Rep. recently that indicated that all liquid dish detergents were pretty much equal.

It helps to soak the stain before washing in the Shout/Resolve, or other laundry stain remover.

[Breadcrumbs]

ina & sueatmo thanks. Not sure if the formulation is different here in Canada but I haven't had consistent results with the Shout w Resolve here.

[purple bot]

Arm & Hammer baking soda. Rub it into the stain and it will absorb the oil, flick off the excess, then brush with a slightly damp or dry towel. Depending on the fabric, often you can even wear it right away. Stubborn ones may need a washing afterwards, with a little Shout stain treatment.

[Breadcrumbs]

I'll have to try this the next time we have a concentrated stain. Unfortunately most are splatters or spays of oil/butter. Good idea, and I always have A&H on hand. Thank-you!

[catrn]

Dawn dish detergent. Works great!

[Breadcrumbs]

I've never tried Dawn catrn, thanks.

[Jpan99]

I agree. I always use Dawn dish soap. Get's out grease stains from my t-shirts. You know, when you drip salad dressing on yourself! Just squirt on some Dawn and let it set. I even let it set overnight and it gets the grease stain out.

[jamieeats]

that's what i always do!

[Breadcrumbs]

I can't believe how well this works and can't thank catrn enough for this amazing tip!!

[walker]

I really dislike Dawn, the smell stays on the dishes/glasses. So, I don't want to run out and buy some; do you think this would work with my Ajax dishwashing liquid?

[Ruth Lafler]

Dawn is supposed to be particularly good for breaking up oil. They have more than one fragrance, though.

[Breadcrumbs]

I agree w Ruth, in the past I'd tried Palmolive (my usual brand),Sunlight and neither worked as thoroughly and consistently as the Dawn does. I keep it in my laundry room as it doesn't get used for dishes.

[Steve]

Any dishwashing liquid will work, unless it is one of those awful bottles they sell at the dollar store which is watered down to nothing. I have had great success no matter the brand.

[melpy]

If it says grease cutting it should be fine. We have Wegmans brand and it works well.

[CindyJ]

With all these raves about Dawn, I went out and bought a bottle to keep in my laundry room. I'll try it on the next greasy stain I encounter.

[cleobeach]

I was raised to believe name brand stuff was a waste of money, my mom always bought generic but my husband's business comes with a lot of greasy, oily (industrial) messes and I learned over the years that Dawn truly does a better job on oil and grease.

I don't know what makes it different but some of our suppliers specify that Dawn is not to be used when checking for air leaks in lines so there must be something in the formula.

I keep a spray bottle filled 50/50 with Dawn and water in the laundry room to use on food/oil stains.

Another product I like is OxyBoost. It is the effective ingredient in OxyClean, just without the fillers. I have a little kid and I have yet to encounter a stain that a long term soak in OxyBoost can get out.

[iL Divo]

about 3 weeks ago I decided to revisit Dawn detergent.
face it, it's pricier than other detergents. < how much better could it be?
haven't noticed a difference in dish washing but hubby got pot roast gravy on his favorite tee shirt last night with first bite of dinner. < dork. anyway I came in here to see the answers and I'll see how well it does on removing stain from his tee. I'll report back.

[iL Divo]

well guess what? stain completely gone.
I saturated every place on the tee shirt the gravy got on.
rubbed it with finger nail to make sure it went all the way into the fabric.
did inside out with the Dawn too just in case.
washed in washer, took outside to dry.
it's all gone, I'm thrilled, thanks.

we were always big fans of LOC by Amway but they don't make it anymore ...
wahhhhhhhhh :(