Remove oil stains

Video: How to Remove Oil Stains From Your Clothes

Content

To step
Method 1 of 3: Remove oil stains from clothing and fabrics
Method 2 of 3: Remove oil stains from carpeting
Method 3 of 3: Remove oil stains from hard surfaces
Tips
Necessities
For clothing and fabrics
For carpeting
For hard surfaces

Whether you're cooking an elaborate, exclusive meal, servicing your car, or just doing a chore in or around your house, oil stains are a real nuisance. Oil stains can be stubborn and difficult to treat compared to most other stains, especially if they are on materials that cannot be machine washed. Even if you have an oil stain in a garment that you can wash, it can take a lot of effort to remove the oil stain. Fortunately, if you're dealing with an oil stain that you just can't get rid of, the case isn't lost. With a few simple tricks you can easily progress even on the most stubborn stains. Go to Step 1 below to get started.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Remove oil stains from clothing and fabrics

Remove the excess oil immediately. For oil stains, the more oil you can remove from the fabric before it soaks in, the better. Try to wipe off as much of the oil as possible with a cloth or paper towel as soon as you see the stain on your clothes. This will not prevent the stain itself, but it will make the stain as small as possible. It also makes the stain easier to remove.
- If the stain is caused by a thicker type of oil, such as butter, mayonnaise, or oil that you use to maintain your car, try scraping off the excess oil with a butter knife, wiping it off on a paper towel and so on. throw it away.
- Blot the oil from the fabric to remove it. Do not try to rub the stain from the fabric. This will allow you to spread the oil even further, instead of removing it.
If you are trying to remove a stain from clothing, use a piece of cardboard. The method described in this section should work for oil stains in most types of fabrics, including those used for clothing. If you have an oil stain in a garment, make sure to put a thin piece of cardboard, plastic, or other material under the stain in the garment before cleaning. The oil must not be able to penetrate this material. This prevents the oil from penetrating through the fabric and into the layer of fabric underneath and prevents the same from happening with the cleaning products you use.
- If it is a different type of fabric, such as sheets and furniture upholstery, then it probably isn't necessary (or just not possible) to use a piece of cardboard to protect all layers of fabric under the top layer.
Apply talcum powder or baking soda to the stain. Try using a neutral absorbent powder such as baking soda, talcum powder, or baby powder to soak up the extra oil that has already been absorbed into the fabric. Gently rub the powder into the fabric with an old toothbrush so that it can absorb the excess oil. You should now see solid lumps of powder starting to form. This means that the powder starts to absorb the oil. Wipe away clumps after they form and continue scrubbing. Add more powder as needed.
- You will want to brush gently until you see that there are almost no solid lumps of powder forming (this should take about five minutes or less). When you're done, wash off the powder by lightly rinsing the fabric with water and scrubbing gently with the same toothbrush you used to brush the powder into the fabric.
Rub degreasing detergent into the stain. Now get a bottle of liquid dish soap (note: do not use dish soap) and squeeze a small drop on the stain. Dampen your toothbrush with water, then gently scrub the detergent into the fabric. Scrub for about two to five minutes to allow the detergent to dissolve the oil in the fabric.
- If it is a garment that cannot be machine washed, such as a delicate wool scarf or part of your sofa cover, wet your toothbrush now and wet the fabric with it as an impromptu "rinse." Let the fabric dry and repeat the steps above if necessary (or read on below for alternative options).
Pretreat the stain with detergent. If it is an oil stain on a garment or other piece of fabric that you can wash in the washing machine, complete the cleaning process by putting the fabric in the washing machine. Before doing this, apply a small amount of the detergent you are using directly to the stain and rub it into the fabric with your toothbrush.
- Applying detergent directly to a stain before washing is an old stain removal trick. It works for almost all types of stains. The extra detergent ensures that the affected area is extra thoroughly cleaned during the washing program.
Wash the garment or fabric. Put your pre-treated garment or fabric in the washing machine with a number of similar garments or fabrics. Follow all washing instructions on the label in the garment or on the fabric when setting up the washing machine. Use the greatest amount of detergent and the highest permissible water temperature to thoroughly clean the fabric as possible. When the washing cycle is finished, dry the fabric on the clothesline or in the dryer as you normally do.
- If you used a piece of cardboard or other material to place under the stain, be sure to remove it before putting the garment or fabric in the wash.
Repeat the process as needed. When the garment or fabric is completely dry, check to see if there is any oil in the fabric or discoloration at the spot of the stain. Most of the small stains should now be completely removed. However, for stubborn stains, dried-in stains or stains caused by particularly thick oils, you may need to wash the garment or fabric several times to remove the stain completely.
- If the fabric is white, try bleaching the stain to remove any discoloration that may have remained in the fabric. Then do this the next time you wash the fabric. Just make sure to wash the fabric along with other items of clothing and fabrics that are also white.
Try alternative remedies to remove the stain. For most garments and fabrics, the above method, using only common household items, should work well to remove most oil stains. However, it is by no means the only method used for this job. There are also many different methods that utilize less common means. If you are not successful in removing a particularly stubborn stain, you may want to use one of the remedies below to try and remove the stain.
- Acetone. This chemical is often used as a nail polish remover and is sold at most drug stores. Make sure you are alone pure acetone and not an acetone-based product to which perfumes or colors have been added. Drip acetone directly onto the stain, then blot it with a towel to disperse the acetone. Repeat the process as needed. Then vacuum the acetone and wash the garment or fabric as you normally would. Note that your acetone not should use on modacrylic fibers, acetate, triacetate or natural fibers made from hair such as silk and wool. Acetone can damage these fibers.
- Isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol, also called isopropanol, is a natural degreasing agent sold at most department stores and drug stores. Try to treat the stain by blotting it with an alcohol-soaked cloth before putting the fabric in the washing machine.
- Lubricants in an aerosol. Believe it or not, some aerosol lubricants like WD-40 can be used to help remove oil stains. Spray the lubricant on the affected area and then leave it on for half an hour. Then pre-treat your fabric with detergent and wash the fabric as described above.

Method 2 of 3: Remove oil stains from carpeting

Immediately absorb any excess oil if possible. As difficult as it may be to remove stains from a regular piece of fabric, it can be even more difficult to clean carpeting. The tightly woven fibers of most floor coverings make it particularly difficult for cleaning agents to penetrate the oil. So you want to do as much as you can to remove the stain in your carpet before it soaks into the fibers. If the stain is barely on the carpet, press a folded paper towel or cloth into the stain to absorb as much oil as possible.
- As mentioned above, do not scrub with the paper towel or cloth. This can spread the oil further over the carpet and make the stain bigger.
- Keep dabbing until the paper or cloth no longer absorbs any oil. Since it is extra difficult to remove oil from carpeting once the oil has set into the fibers, you should focus on removing the oil from the carpet before the oil has even a chance to stain.
Treat the stain with baking soda and a vacuum cleaner. As with clothing and fabrics, gently rub a neutral, absorbent powder such as baking soda, cornstarch or talcum powder into the stain to remove the excess oil from the carpet. You should see solid lumps of powder start to form as the powder absorbs the oil. However, unlike with garments and fabrics, it is difficult to simply brush these clumps out of the carpet. So it is best to use a vacuum cleaner to remove them.
Pour isopropyl alcohol on the stain. Then pour a small amount (no more than a few cups) of isopropyl alcohol (also called isopropanol) on the stain. Let the alcohol soak into the stain for about 10 minutes and the oil will begin to dissolve. Then blot the alcohol from the carpet with a clean cloth.
Treat the carpet with a mixture of dish soap and vinegar. It is easy to make an effective carpet cleaner with a few common household remedies. Mix 473 milliliters of warm water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Soak a sponge in the mixture. Repeatedly dab the stain and rub it gently. Do this for about 5 to 10 minutes or until you see the stain start to dissolve.
- When you are done, blot the stain with a cloth or towel to absorb the excess moisture.
Treat the stain with carpet cleaner. If you currently have a store-bought carpet cleaner on hand, you can just use it. Since you have already pre-treated the stain using the methods above, the carpet cleaner should be even more effective. Follow the directions on the cleaner packaging to apply it to the stain. Most carpet cleaners spray or pour onto the stain, let it soak in, and then pat or vacuum the carpet.
Rinse with cold water. When you have finished treating your carpet, clean it with a small amount of cool, clear water. In this way you rinse the floor covering, as it were, so that any residues of cleaning agent that had been drawn into the floor covering are dissolved. Some cleaning products can discolor or damage carpet fibers if left in the carpet. Other agents, such as the vinegar and detergent mixture above, are not necessarily harmful to the floor covering, but leave a clearly noticeable odor that should not soak into the fibers. Either way, a little water will help remove detergent residue from the affected area of the carpet.
- Immediately blot the carpet with a cloth or towel after rinsing it with water. Do not let the water drip onto the floor through the carpet, where it can cause damage if left there.
End the cleaning process by vacuuming. If necessary, repeat the steps above to remove the stain from the carpet. When you're done and all or part of the stain has been removed, vacuum the affected area one last time. This way you remove any residual cleaning agent from the carpet. It also helps the carpet to dry, preventing damage that can be caused by moisture build-up in the carpet.

Method 3 of 3: Remove oil stains from hard surfaces

Immediately soak up or rinse off excess oil. As with the types of oil stains described above, if you have the chance, you want to remove as much oil as possible before it can soak into the surface. However, since you're working on a hard surface, you don't have to worry about spreading the stain like you would with fabric. So do whatever you want: scrape, rinse or scrub the oil away as much as necessary.
- When you're busy in the driveway, avoid flushing oil into your yard. Some oils and some cleaning products can be harmful to plants and grass and can even cause ugly dead spots in your garden.
Scrub with baking soda and water and leave it on overnight. The first action you should take to treat oil stains on hard surfaces is very similar to but not the same as the first action you perform on the stains described above. Mix baking soda with water to make a loose (but not runny) paste, then rub this paste into the stain with a sponge or brush. Here you use the baking soda as a light abrasive, instead of absorbing the oil.
- Once you've scrubbed the stain thoroughly, let the paste soak into the stain overnight (or as long as possible). The baking soda paste will absorb the disintegrated oil stain as it dries, making it easy to remove in the morning.
- For even better cleaning, you can replace the water with hydrogen peroxide if you have it at home.
Wet the stain with warm water and vinegar. Now make a mixture of water and vinegar to clean and rinse the surface. Mix 473 milliliters of warm water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak a cloth with the mixture and then spread the mixture over the affected area. Remove all traces of baking soda. Let the mixture sit for half an hour so that it can set and the stain can dissolve.
Scrub the stain with an abrasive or stiff brush. Once you've let your improvised detergent soak into the stain, remove the stain with an abrasive tool that can disintegrate any remaining oil. There are many abrasive tools that could work here: wire brushes, small cat litter, scouring pads, toothbrushes, and even sand could work well.
- If you are working on a hard surface that is susceptible to scratches or damage, such as the hob of a cooker, do not use strong abrasives such as steel, sand, etc. Instead, use a toothbrush or sponge.
Use a commercial degreaser. After you've already tried cleaning and scrubbing the stain away, use a store-bought cleaner to finish the job, if necessary. You can buy various degreasing cleaning products relatively cheaply at the supermarket and department stores. Some of these are for general use, while others are specially formulated for certain surfaces (ovens, stoves, driveways, etc.) Although each cleaner is different, most are used in the same way: apply the cleaner to the stain on, let it soak in and then scrub it away again.
Use mineral oil for the surfaces of kitchen appliances. For certain hard surfaces in the kitchen that are prone to oil stains, such as the hob and extractor hood, mineral oil can be an effective cleaning agent. Soak a paper towel in mineral oil, then scrub the stains. For particularly stubborn stains, try adding baking soda to the oil stain. In addition to removing the stains, this method also gives your kitchen appliances a nice shine.
- Don't use mineral oil on your driveway unless the stain is quite small. Compared to other cleaners, mineral oil can be somewhat expensive and impractical to work with.
Use sodium phosphate for concrete. Some driveway stains, such as those caused by dried engine oil, can be particularly difficult to remove with normal cleaning methods. In these situations, you can try sodium phosphate, an extra powerful cleaning powder often sold at stores that specialize in cleaning products. Mix the sodium phosphate with water to make a smooth paste. Spread this over the stain and then let it dry. Scrub off the paste with a cloth or brush after it dries completely. If necessary, repeat the process until the stain has considerably reduced or been removed.
- Do not flush dried sodium phosphate through street or sidewalk gullies. It is known to be harmful to ecosystems in water surfaces.
Try club soda. If the above methods fail to remove the stain, try this old-fashioned method used by grannies around the world. Pour a small amount of club soda on the stain, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then wipe it off with a cloth or sponge. Club soda is mild compared to other cleaning products, but surprisingly effective. Best of all, it is cheap. For a few euros you can already buy a large bottle of soda water in the supermarket.

Tips

Clean oil stains on concrete with sodium phosphate dissolved in water. Rinse the area with a pressure washer. You can also try WD-40 and clean it with soap and water for smaller stains.
If oil stains are common in your home, you might want to consider purchasing a petroleum-based spray that can pre-treat the stain.