With oil stains, it can often feel like youll never be able to rid yourself of this stubborn type of stain on your favorite clothing. But, there is good news there are ways that you can treat oil stains and save your clothes, even if theyre set-in! Lets dive into how you can remove oil stains from clothing in order to make your favorite shirt or pair of pants look as good as new.
How to Remove Oil Stains From Clothing
When trying to remove of oil stains from shirts or any type of clothing, there are slightly different steps for tackling fresh stains compared to stains that have been allowed to set. Weve broken down each stain removal process for you below.
What Youll Need to Remove Oil Stains
- Baking Soda
- Cornstarch (if you dont have baking soda)
- Dish Soap
- Toothbrush
- Cardboard
- Cotton Bud
- WD-40
How to Remove Oil Stains (Fresh)
- Remove Oil Stains as much as possible by blotting the stain with a cloth or napkin.
- Apply baking soda or cornstarch to the area until there is a thick layer covering the stain.
- Let sit for at least thirty minutes to an hour to let the baking soda absorb the oil.
- Scrub the area with a toothbrush until the majority of the baking soda is gone.
- Next, add a small amount of dish soap to the area and work it into the fabric with your fingers.
- Wash your garment like normal in the highest temperature water your garment will allow.
- If you still notice the stain after washing your garment, dont put it in the dryer. Simply repeat the process and check the results then. If the stain is gone, feel free to dry your garment.
How to Remove Oil Stains (Set-in)
- Put cardboard behind the stain to act as a buffer between the different layers of your garment.
- Apply the stain with a small amount of WD-40 with either the spray attachment or a cotton bud. The WD-40 will help to break down the set-in stain.
- Remove as much excess oil as possible by blotting the stain with a cloth or napkin.
- Apply baking soda or cornstarch to the area until theres a thick layer covering the stain.
- Let sit for at least thirty minutes to an hour to let the baking soda absorb the oil.
- Scrub the area with a toothbrush until the majority of the baking soda is gone.
- Next, add a small amount of dish soap to the area and work it into the fabric with your fingers.
- Wash your garment like normal in the highest temperature water your garment will allow.
- If you still notice the stain after washing your garment, dont put it in the dryer. Simply repeat the process and check the results then. If the stain is gone, feel free to dry your garment.
Can a Dry Cleaner Remove Oil Stains?
If you would like to rely on the professionals to tackle your oil stains, dry cleaners are a great option for oil stains that are particularly difficult or stubborn to remove. At Queens Dry Cleaner, our teams of Dry Cleaning experts are standing by to handle the toughest stains on almost any type of clothing or garments! In addition to dry cleaning, ourwash and dry service is perfect for all of your dry cleaning needs.
