There are activities that we love that may stain our favorite clothes. Cooking or gardening happens to be the main culprit for grease or oil stains, and these stains happen to be difficult to remove. If you happen to notice your clothes with oily stains, it is best to pre-treat them immediately and not let the grease stain set into the fibers.
Pre-treating stains before sending them to laundry service have a higher success rate of removing stains on your clothes. Avoid frustration by following these steps to remove oily stains on your clothes.
Table of Contents
Remove excess stain and blot out the noticeable stain.
You scrape the excess stain with a dull knife or spoon, then blot out the stain that’s left on the fabric with a damp clean towel. Do not rub the stain; it only pushes the grease deeper into the fabric and makes it harder to remove them.
Apply dishwashing soap to the stain.
Place a few drops of grease, removing dishwashing soap on the stain. Gently rub the fabric with your fingers or a soft-bristled toothbrush to loosen the oil and grease. You can sprinkle a little baking soda on the stain if the stain does not come out. The dishwashing soap and baking soda might have formed a paste. Let it rest for a while until the paste becomes dry and hard.
Rinse and soak stained clothes with hot water.
Check the dishwashing soap, and baking soda has worked wonders. This usually results after half an hour. You can rinse the fabric with hot water if the stain is gone. After rinsing the clothes, soak them in hot water for another hour.
Wash and air dry the clothes.
When the stain is gone after soaking the clothing for an hour, you can wash it as per instructions on the care label. You can throw the clothes in the washer and let it air dry. However, if the stain is still noticeable, you can repeat the steps until it becomes completely removed.
Do not throw the clothes into the dryer as stains might still not be completely removed. The heat from the dryer may set the stain into the fabric.
You might have wondered why we did not recommend using bleach or harsh laundry detergents in this guide. We are not big fans of bleach because it may damage your clothes more than saving them from the stain. Other than that, it has a great effect on the environment.
Final Takeaway
The stains are not noticeable at first, and you might send them to the laundry pickup without noticing and pre-treating the stains. Fabrics with oil stains tend to darken over time as it sets into the fibers. Thus, be attentive to grease and oil stains on your clothes. Do not wait for the stain to show up and attack it. The key to effectively removing a stain is pre-treating them as soon as you notice it. Avoid ruining your clothes beyond rescue.
