Five Products to Remove Oil Stains from Clothes
You should use the right products if you want to remove oil stains from clothes since each fabric should be treated differently. If you don’t have a stain-removal product at home, you can try some homemade solutions.
In this article, we’ll share five products to remove oil stains from clothes: alcohol, dishwasher detergent, baking soda, white vinegar, and talcum powder. Keep reading to learn more!
Five products to remove oil stains from clothes
1. Dishwasher detergent
Dishwasher detergent easily breaks down fat molecules, which is why you can also use it to remove oil stains from clothes.
First, one of the products that you probably have at hand that’s very effective in removing stains from clothes is dishwasher detergent. This concentrated dishwasher detergent will be very effective if you apply it immediately. However, you shouldn’t use it if the garment is light-colored, as it could stain it more.
How to use it
- First, cover the stain with a few drops of dishwasher detergent. It’s best if you do it right when you stain the garment.
- Then, rub the stain with some water and put it into the washing machine as usual.
2. Baking soda
Second of all, we propose a product with multiple uses, both at home and for health and beauty. You probably have baking soda at home, which you can use as a facial scrub and even as a solution to absorb odors. It also helps remove pesky oil stains.
How to use it
- First, moisten the stain with water.
- Then, prepare a paste by mixing baking soda with a little water and cover the stain with it.
- You can use a toothbrush to rub the stain so the product penetrates it better.
- Leave on for a few minutes and then wash the garment as usual.
Also, we must note that baking soda is an excellent natural softener to help white garments stay white and clean. Finally, this product also balances the pH of the wash water.
You should also read: How to Make Eco-Friendly Detergent from Borax and Baking Soda
3. Talcum powder to remove oil stains from clothes
For better results, you should apply this and the other tricks quickly.
Next, you can use another product you probably have at home for many different things: we’re talking about talcum powder a lot of people use with their babies. However, it can also help you remove oil stains from any type of garment, whatever the fabric and color!
How to use it to remove oil stains from clothes
- To begin, spread out the garment and apply talcum powder generously until you cover the oil stain.
- You have to wait at least two hours for it to absorb the oil. Waiting an entire day also works.
- After this time, brush the stain. If it still has traces of oil, you can repeat the application.
- Finally, wash the garment as usual.
This article may interest you: Use Aspirin to Whiten Clothes and Remove Stains
4. White vinegar
Vinegar is another product people use to clean their homes. Also, many people use it as an alternative to fabric softener to maintain their clothes and washing machine in good condition. In this case, it’s also an effective solution to remove oil stains.
How to use it
- Apply white vinegar on the stain until you cover it completely.
- Leave on for at least 30 minutes.
- Then, wash the garment as usual.
Note: Always avoid vinegar products that contain other added ingredients.
5. Alcohol to remove oil stains from clothes
Alcohol also acts as a grease remover for clothes, although you shouldn’t use it on delicate garments.
Finally, if the above products haven’t worked, you can turn to 90° alcohol. However, we don’t recommend it for delicate garments, as it may damage them.
How to use it
- First, apply only a few drops of alcohol on the oil stain.
- Leave on for a couple of minutes and wash as usual by hand or in the washing machine.
Now you know some products that can help you remove oil stains from clothes. Always have them on hand to keep your clothes in perfect condition!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Li, Q., Mahendra, S., Lyon, D. Y., Brunet, L., Liga, M. V, Li, D., & Alvarez, P. J. J. (2008). Antimicrobial nanomaterials for water disinfection and microbial control: potential applications and implications. Water Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2008.08.015
- Budak, N. H., Aykin, E., Seydim, A. C., Greene, A. K., & Guzel-Seydim, Z. B. (2014). Functional Properties of Vinegar. Journal of Food Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.12434
