If oil spills on your clothing, it's important not to wait too long before cleaning the garment. Once it dries, oil is much more difficult -- if not impossible -- to remove, and it may leave a visible stain behind. Here are two ways to remove oil from clothing.
Method 1: Pre-treatment
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You'll need one of the following:
- Heavy-duty liquid detergent
- Petroleum-based or detergent-based pre-treatment spray
- Powdered laundry detergent mixed with enough water to make a thin paste.
Here's what you do:
- Rub the liquid detergent or paste into the oily area, or spray the area with the pre-treatment spray.
- Wash the garment at the hottest temperature allowed by the clothing manufacture, using enough detergent for a regular load.
- Rinse the garment. Check if any oil remains.
- Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until the oil stain is completely gone.
- Dry the garment as per the manufacturer directions [source: Remove Oil Stains by Pre-treating].
Method 2: Ironing
You'll need the following items:
- Baking soda or cornstarch
- Large rag
- Iron and ironing board
Here's what you do:
- Spread out the rag on the ironing board.
- Sprinkle enough baking soda or cornstarch on the rag to cover the oil stain.
- Place the garment on top of the rag with the oil stain face down.
- Iron the garment on the side facing up (which is the side without the stain) with a hot iron. The rag will absorb the oil.
- Repeat Steps 2 through 4 until all the oil is removed. Use a clean rag each time, so any oil that's been removed is not under the garment [source: Remove Oil Stains by Ironing].
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