Treating cloth stains can be frustrating, especially if the grease is old and has already set in. In the worst-case scenario, an oil stain can force you to throw away a beloved dress or a vintage pullover your mom handed you.
Don’t worry about it much! We’ll let you know how to remove old grease stains from clothes so you don’t have to throw away that dress after you smear spaghetti sauce down its front.
How to Remove Old Grease Stains from Clothes
Accidents happen! No one is ever able to avoid dealing with stains. For example, you may enjoy a romantic candle-lit dinner with your partner, and the pasta sauce decorates your dress.
Another example is when you’re studying with friends, and that extra pizza grease somehow falls into your lap.
It takes more than a simple wash with water and soap to remove grease. Using your standard laundry process could be challenging to get oil off clothing. But with the appropriate methods, getting rid of these stains is easier than you once believed.
Below are the tools and mixtures used to remove clothes’ greasy stains.
The most efficient ingredients for removing old grease stains are:
- Lemon and baking soda
- Dish soaps
- Detergents
The tools you need to get rid of these stains are:
- Butter knife
- Damp towels
- Scrubs
Removing Old Grease Stains from Cotton and Polyester
- Dampen the stained area with water, ensuring not to soak it entirely.
- Distribute a generous amount of your chosen detergent to the stained area. (Lemon and baking soda, dish soap, bar soap, and shampoo may also work)
- Use a scrub, damp towel, or butter knife to scrape off excess stains if they’re already hard.
- Rinse the detergent with clean water.
- Some materials can get ruined when washed using hot water. If there are still stains on the fabric, rewash it with laundry detergent. But before that, check the water temperature recommendation shown on the fabric’s label.
- Allow the fabric to air-dry before putting the cloth in the dryer.
- Repeat the process as needed until the stain is gone.
Removing Old Grease Stains from Leather
Unlike cotton and polyester, leather fabrics have a texture reminiscent of wood. This makes the stain-removal process a bit more challenging.
Although removing oil stains from leather is seemingly more manageable than other fabric textures, doing it wrong may damage the fabric overall. You’ll want to check the garment’s label first for instructions on washing it.
The items you’ll need:
- Talcum Powder
- Chosen detergent
- Dry Cloth
- Brush
Talcum powder is the most effective material for removing grease stains from leather fabrics since it absorbs and quickly disintegrates oil or grease stains. However, you can still use a variety of mixtures, such as cornstarch and baking soda, which also work like magic.
For Fresh Grease Stains
- Apply a sufficient amount of powder to the stained area. You can weigh it down by putting a book or any heavy item on top of it.
- Leave the powder overnight to absorb the grease from the leather fabric.
- Using a dry cloth or a soft-bristled brush, gently remove the powder from the affected area, and the stain should be gone.
For Old Grease Stains
- Apply your chosen detergent on a dry cloth.
- Dab the cloth to the stained area evenly.
- Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to let the detergent absorb and remove the grease marks.
- Once done, spray a controlled amount of water on the stained area without soaking the leather fabric.
- Gently rub the area with a dry clean cloth to remove excess mixture on the surface.
- Repeat as necessary.
Other Materials for Removing Old Grease Stains From Clothes
As you can’t avoid these silly accidents, some professionals suggest stocking these objects:
- Lestoil or Pine Sol: Clorox products work best as oil-stain removers.
- Cornstarch: If you do not have accessible detergents or baking soda, cornstarch can be applied to remove oil residue from your clothes.
- WD-40: This multi-purpose lubricant and degreaser may also remove cloth stains.
- Shampoo for oily hair: Similar to dish soap and detergents, shampoos may substitute for removing grease stains.
- Mechanics Soap: This is an odorless liquid that removes grease and oils. If you have it around, you can use it to remove that old greasy stain.
Summary
Removing grease stains is difficult but not impossible. To avoid entirely ruining your garments, you must adhere to an efficient application technique and grease-removal procedure. Using everyday household items like detergent, baking soda, cornstarch, and even talcum powder, may prevent these mishaps.