What is the best detergent for getting oil out of clothes? I have oily food stains on my clothes because I’m a chef at a restaurant. I just married a guy who restores old cars, so his jeans are always covered in motor oil. We can’t afford the dry cleaning bills anymore. What can we do?
Helena Adams, Boise, Idaho
I’m sure you already know that it’s best to take care of stains sooner rather than later. But when you’re in the middle of work, there’s no time to stop and blot a spot. So getting oil out of clothes really depends on how you care for them on laundry day.
I can’t tell you which brand of detergent is best at removing oil spots, although OxiClean and Shout are popular products. But I can tell you how to use ordinary household items to get stains out of clothes and the best way for removing rust stains from fabric. I hope that these methods will help you save money and keep your clothing looking great.
For future reference, these tips come from here:https://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-get-oil-stains-out-of-clothes/
In addition,check out our tips on how to remove chocolate stains, tea stains and grass stains for some extra tips on really difficult stains to clean.
Now, the first step in removing an oil stain is to determine what kind of fabric you have and how much heat it can tolerate. I’m going to guess and say that you’re wearing professional restaurant clothing at work, so it can probably handle a hot water wash. But your husband’s jeans may shrink in hot water, so that’s not the best option for him.
Of course, hot water is best for removing oil spots. And food oils aren’t too hard to remove if you pre-treat them with baking soda to soak up the oil, the liquid dish detergent to clean it. Try rubbing alcohol which works great for all oil-based stains like when you remove lipstick stains, too.
Next, there is an unusual trick for a motor oil stain remover. Try pre-treating a motor oil stain with WD-40. Spray it on the spot and let it sit for 20 minutes. A little rubbing may help the WD-40 soak into the stain better.
Rinse the fabric with warm water before you load the clothing into the washing machine. Before loading the clothes into the dryer, ensure that the stain is gone, as it may require a second treatment. Drying an oil stain makes it set in and more difficult to remove.
In addition, if you come across some difficult to clean armpit stains on your husband’s laundry, make sure you read ourpost on how to remove deodorant stains here.
Just as it is important to keep your laundry clean, keeping dishes and kitchenware sparkling is critical, too. You can save money and get shiny dishes with homemade dishwasher detergent.
In conclusion, check out the article for in-depth instructions and more details on oil stain removal.
Joan