Learn how to remove those stubborn oil stains in a couple of simple steps using hot water and grease fighting dish soap!
If you are the family cook, or do the laundry for your family you probably know how frustrating it can be to deal with cooking oil stains.
Olive oil, vegetable oil and others can easily spray up on your shirts to stain them.
Luckily, I quickly figured out the best way to remove oily stains simply by using liquid dish soap!
I know there are cleaning methods that suggest using baby powder, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, chalk, and a little elbow grease, which go a long way, but I have good news! I haven't had to use any of these!
Now, when it comes to removing ink stains, I like using hairspray and an old toothbrush.
You can see from the shirt below that I had a lot of olive oil on my shirt. I had dumped some washed-off green beans in a hot pan with oil (I know, not smart)!
The cooking oil went all over my shirt. Then, I forgot about it until I put the shirt on again. It had already been washed and dried.
Can You Use This Trick On a Fresh Stain?
Yes! Normally, set-in stains are tougher to get rid of. But if you have fresh oil stains and the garment hasn't been washed or dried yet, you can still use this technique.
Use a paper towel or a clean cloth to blot out as much oil as possible (for a fresh stain). Oil spots are much easier to treat than set-in oil stains.
Does It Matter What Type Of Oil Left the Stain?
No! I have used this oil stain removal hack on vegetable oil stains, those left from salad dressing, and all kinds of other food stains. I will say, depending on the severity of the stain, you may need to repeat the process, but it really does work!
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What You'll Need:
Dishwashing liquid - use a dish soap that has some grease fighter in it, don't use a lotion-y dish soap. I use Dawn Dish Soap or Aldi Brand.
Watch The Video
How to Get Cooking Oil Stains Out of Clothes
Lay the article of clothing on a flat surface. Add a couple of drops of dish soap to the stained area.
Once you have treated the greasy stain, allow the clothing item to sit for a couple of hours.
Afterward, toss the clothing in the washing machine and select the wash cycle that has the hottest water setting. When the cycle has finished, let the garment air-dry.
Take a look to be sure that all of the oil-based stains are gone. Most of the time it only takes one cycle. However, there are instances that I miss a spot or particularly tough stains that need one more round of the above steps.
The dish soap will do its grease-fighting action as the clothes sit. Then once the clothes have sat for a couple of hours you can wash them. I recommend washing them on the hottest cycle possible for the clothing. When the cycle is done pull the clothes out and let them air dry.
Best Tips
- If you have a delicate piece, check the garment’s care label. If it says to avoid high heat, use the warmest water possible.
- Another easy way to remove stains if you don't have a grease fighting soap is with my 3 ingredient all purpose stain remover. It's made with common household products that you probably already have on hand.
- This method will also work if you need to remove a motor oil stain or those from other household items like hand towels, fabric, etc.
- You will want to add a few extra drops of soap to larger stains. The affected area should be totally covered in soap.
Common FAQs
Oddly enough, yes some have had good luck. However, WD 40 by itself is very oily. So now you have worry about getting the original stain out plus the WD 40.
Dawn says
Thank you so much for this. I am also a very messy cook and have had to relegate many of my shirts to the scruffy clothes pile since I always end up with something on me. This makes me so happy that I may be able to save some of my favorites! Thank you for the great advice!
Julie says
You are welcome!