Set-in grease stains are frustrating, and they’re hard to catch! Here’s how to get grease stains out of clothes that have been washed and dried.
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Grease/oil stains are my greatest laundry nemesis. They’re so sneaky! Other stains I usually catch before they go in the wash and can pre-treat as necessary. Not so with grease — they’re the ninjas of pesky stains.
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They don’t announce their presence like most other stains. They’re not brightly colored like a spaghetti stain or obvious like a dirt stain.
Oh no, they ever-so-slightly darken a fabric so that you don’t even notice until it’s been washed and dried. Even then sometimes you don’t notice until you put it on.
Those crafty little grease stains. So frustrating.
But good news — they can be fixed! (Most of the time.)
And here’s how:
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Dish detergent (must be petroleum-based like Dawn, not all-natural or plant-based)
- Scrub brush or old toothbrush
HOW TO GET GREASE STAINS OUT OF CLOTHES THAT HAVE BEEN DRIED
- Dampen the area with water.
- Cover the grease stain with liquid dish detergent. (I’ve also heard shampoo, bar soap, or Fels Naptha work.)
- Use a scrub brush or old toothbrush to work the detergent into the stain.
- Rinse the detergent with water.
- Wash with laundry detergent in hottest water possible according to your clothing’s label.
- Allow to air-dry. You want to make sure the stain is removed before putting it in the dryer.
- Repeat the process as necessary until the stain is gone. OR proceed to the next method
FOR THE SUPER SET-IN GREASE STAINS
The method above will do the trick against most normal everyday grease stains. But if you’re facing a stubborn stain that remained untouched and unaffected by the above method, then it’s time to bring out the big guns.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- WD-40
- Baking soda
- Piece of cardboard
- Dawn dish detergent
- Scrub brush or old toothbrush
How to Remove Stubborn Grease Stains
- Place your piece of cardboard underneath the stain area between the front and back of the shirt (pants, dress, etc.) This will prevent the WD-40 from bleeding to the other side, causing a whole new stain.
- Carefully spray a little WD-40 onto the center of the stain. (It will spread.)
- Sprinkle generously with baking soda.
- Rub the baking soda well into the stain with your brush.
- Brush off the lumps and repeat until all you have is a fine, dry dusting. (The lumps are caused by the baking soda absorbing the grease. No more lumps = no more grease)
- Pour dish detergent onto the stain area and rub in with the brush.
- Allow the detergent to sit for 30 minutes.
- Wash as usual.
- Air dry, again to make sure the oil stain is actually gone. They are next to impossible to spot when the clothing is wet.
- Repeat the process, if necessary.
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Oil stain been n 4 a year but dish liquid worked ❣ thanks alot
Yay! I’m so glad!!
Thank you!!!!! I can now where my favourite tee shirt in public again. Am going to try on the rest of my clothes that I deemed suitable only for gardening or cooking lol
Yay! I’m so glad I could help! 🙂
My boyfriend got bacon grease while he was cooking on his green hoodie. It look like he got shot with a nerf gun full of it, it was on the sleeve and middle torso of it. He washed it in detergent, spot treated it, dried multiple times. He finally gave it to me to see if I could do something. Tried first method, and it was still there. So then, I took the leap of faith with the WD-40. It was pretty frightening to squirt oil intentionally onto the love of your life’s hoodie. Washed it in hot water and….IT WORKED!!!!! Thank you a million times for this!!!!!
Hooray!!! Yes, the thought of squirting WD-40 on my clothes was a little terrifying to me, too. 🤣 But it works! I’m so glad this saved the day for you. This is exactly why I shared this magical fix! 😄
Hi my daughter has a pair of timberland boots a light gray color and she has got grease or oil on them on the front which is now a dark gray and we don’t know how long it has been like that. I have tried talcum powder but it hasn’t moved it any ideas how to get it off these are such nice boots. Please help
Oh no! Can you try the method in this post (without putting them in the washing machine, of course, but washing by hand in hot water)? I hope you find a solution!
Actually something I’ve found that works better and even on lots of other stain like hard grass stains is starting fluid. Does fade or bleach colors. Might have to run it through rinse cycle a second time with fabric softer cuz it has a strong smell and I wouldn’t recommend doing it in the house either. Spray out side then run in and put it in washer. Works great even for mechanics and all there oil stains as well.
Hey so I have wind breaker with baker grease , nylon fabric. Which method should I try?
I couldn’t say for sure. I always try the first method first, and if that doesn’t work, I try the second!
Will try set in grease stain recommendations…thx a bunch…my favorite shirt too☹️
I hate when that happens!! Hopefully, one of these two methods should do the trick!
The dish soap method worked on a 6 year old grease stain on a jacket that I loved. Thanks for the help on removing it!
How wonderful!! I love hearing stories this this.
Thank you ! Thank you! Thank you !
Favorite lululemon hoodies saved after several previous attempts to remove those stubborn stains . First method worked , one hoodie took two attempts but worked so well .
Yay!!! I’m always thrilled when this is able to save a favorite article of clothing! (especially when it’s mine 😉 )
I just bought my husband some new shirts. He didnt even have them for a week when with the first one he went to carve a turkey and he got the grease all down the front of him. The next day he was eating stuffed meatballs and spaghetti and spilled that down the front of him. I was so upset until I found you !! The stains are gone. I just wish I had taken before and after pictures. Thank you so much
Hooray for keeping husbands out of the dog house! 🤣 I’m SO glad I could help!
Thanks for sharing, i’m definitely going to try these 🙂 I was about to ask if your methods are safe for silk but I just checked the tag of my oil stained “silk” shirt is actually 100% polyester so I think I’m in the clear lol. Cheers!
Haha! I’m sorry it’s not silk as you thought 😉, but I’m very hopeful one of these methods will work for you!
Definitely going to try these methods on my 2 favorite shirts I have tried everything I could think and now I found you are read the comments so here we go. I will
Let you know if they worked. Thank you!
Keep me posted!