Getting Oil Stains Out of Clothing?

Updated on January 04, 2009
C.R. asks from Derry, NH
17 answers

Does anyone know how to get oil stains out of clothing? Is it even possible after they have been washed and dried, or is set in forever?

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So What Happened?

Wow! Thanks for all of the advice! I tried putting a dab of dish detergent (I used "Joy") and voila! Oil stains all gone! And these were shirts that have been laundered several times already (but, you know, couldn't leave the house wearing them... salad dressing stains on the front) Now, good as new.

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S.S.

answers from Hartford on

Charlie's Soap. You order it online. Just do a search for it and their website should pop up.
I soak all my clothes overnight. My hubby workes in oils and coolants and it is the only thing that takes the smell and stains out! And its natual too! LOVE IT!!

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P.H.

answers from Boston on

Hi, If the clothing hasn't been washed already, sprinkle with baby powder and that should lift the stain right out.

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K.S.

answers from Hartford on

I've always had great luck with Dawn dish detergent. Put it on, scrub in a little, I just use my finger nail, let it sit for a little bit, and rewash.(I've even been able to do this AFTER some things have been washed and dryed.)

Good luck!
K.

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N.B.

answers from Portland on

The only thing I have found is DAWN dishwashing soap. I did take the oil stain out of a dress I had washed and dried. I just put the dawn on it and used the back of a comb to relly work the dawn into the stain and kept washing then re applying and washing and re applying after the 3rd wash it was as if the oil had never been on the dress! Good luck

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A.E.

answers from Hartford on

"Goof off 2" and "oil eater" (bought at costco years ago) have both gotten oil out of some of my clothes, even after washed and dried. But it doesnt always work, but both are worth a shot!

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J.Z.

answers from Boston on

Put Dawn on the stain and scrub it in and then let it sit overnight. Wash it regularly after and the stain should come out. Dawn also works on blood, spaghetti sauce, chocolate and just about everything else. It also works even after the item has already been through the washer and dryer. If it weren't for Dawn and Tide then my four kids' clothing would pretty much be disposable :)

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B.S.

answers from Boston on

Put a little bit of Lestoil on the stain and rewash it. You don't have to use too much! It doesn't smell the greatest and if anyone else has a more 'natural' solution, I'd love to hear it!

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G.P.

answers from Providence on

Yes, use Dawn dishwashing liquid. pour liquid directly on the grease stain and let soak over night wash as you normally would and the grease stain should come out of the item. I have also done this on clothes that have been washed and dried and it still works. Good luck

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J.C.

answers from Providence on

When the article of clothing is dry, put some talc (baby) powder on the stain and use a toothbrush to work it in. The powder absorbs oil. You can leave it overnight if you desire. My mom is one of those magic people who gets stains out of anything and this is her little trick.

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S.W.

answers from Burlington on

I went through this recently. Sometimes Goo Gone worked for me. And I tried Dawn. In the end, the only thing that worked was Spray and Wash spray (this is if I had also dried it).

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J.M.

answers from Boston on

Try Dawn dishwashing soap.....it gets greasy stains out of my kids clothes even after they been washed and dried

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K.S.

answers from Boston on

I have had wonderful success with the Stain Stick by Spray n' Wash. If I have a really bad or difficult stain I will usually apply it and then let it sit for a day before I wash it.

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J.L.

answers from Providence on

I use Lestoil for all kinds of stains. I get it at Bennys, don't know where else they sell it anymore. I use a toothbrush and brush it on the stains. It smells awful, but after you wash and dry, you won't be able to smell it anymore. Good luck!

E.T.

answers from Boston on

Hi C., I cannot state positively that Nature Bright will take out set-in oil stains; however, it has eliminated many other set-in stains that have been washed and dried several times. Nature Bright, in combination with Shaklee's detergent, is an extremely powerful stain remover. It is a laundry booster, and we use it instead of toxic bleach. In fact, all of Shaklee's home cleaning products are non-toxic. Yes, I am a Shaklee distributor, and I am responding to your question about getting the set-in oil stains out of your clothes. I am in Georgetown; where are you? If you are close by, I am more than willing to give you a sample of both to try. If it works and you would like to order some, you can do that right at my website www.emilytaft.com What I would suggest on these stains would be to dissolve a scoop of Shaklee's Nature Bright in warm water along with a teeny,tiny squirt of Shaklee's detergent (you can do this in sink or a bucket). After all is dissolved, rub a tad of detergent directly on the oil stains & put the clothes into the sink. It's a good idea to weight them down with something heavy to keep them under water. Just leave them for several hours or even a day. Then, rinse gently, wring them out and throw them into the wash. Again, I would add one scoop of Nature Bright (dissolved in warm water)right on top of the Shaklee detergent in the proper receptor on your washing machine - then start the wash. That's it. Please contact me with any questions or for us to connect so I can give you a sample of each to try. Call me at ###-###-#### or e-mail me at ____@____.com - hope this helps. E. Taft

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W.H.

answers from Boston on

I don't know if this works after the clothes have been dried, but I usually put a little liquid dish soap on the stain and scrub it into the fabric with my fingernail. It gets out some pretty tough oil stains (even bicycle chain grease). I haven't tried it after something has been dried, but give it a shot, it certainly won't make it any worse.

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B.C.

answers from Boston on

I know I'm late to respond to this, but if you're still in need of more options, I found that Fuller's Earth works! You can get it at a place like Cambridge Naturals. They sell it in bulk and you can buy it by the ounce. It's a gray-ish powder. A friend showed me this trick back in high school, and I've been using it ever since. I take some Fuller's Earth, liberally put it on the oily area, and let it sit for a good while (at least overnight). I think it soaks up all the oil, and viola, no more oil mark.

Let me know if you have any questions about this!

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H.M.

answers from Lewiston on

Try Dawn dish soap (it gets the greas out!). Let it sit for a while wash again and let air dry to see if you can still see the stain. If you can try one more time. Most times it works but since it's been dried, it doesn't work all the time depending on the fabric.

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