Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Pre-treat the article of clothing by laying it flat and covering the area with cornstarch. Leave it to sit for at least 1/2 hour to soak up some of the oil, then gently brush away the cornstarch.
Step2
If your article can handle a regular washing, then try soaking it in the kitchen sink with Dawn dishsoap. Use the hottest water that your item can be washed in. Leave it to soak for awhile, then gently squeeze the article over and over, underwater, until you are certain that it has been absolutely saturated with the soapy water. Drain the sink, then rinse the article to get out most of the soap.
Step3
Finally, use a pre-wash spray such as Shout or Oxyboost on the spot, then run it through a regular wash cycle along with a couple of damp towels. Hopefully, the oil will be completely gone!
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Comments
Colmanandco said
on 9/15/2008 All those methods probably work well, but can be quite time consuming. I have had great success with a product found on an embroidery supply companies website. It is designed to remove oil and grease from clothing in 30-45 minutes. Have also had success with numerous other stains. Even old set-in stains. Its weakness are stains with a high sugar content. Link: http://colmanandcompany.com/static_store/A829.html
TexasRedHat said
on 8/3/2008 Thanks for the tips!
Meri said
on 4/30/2008 carolramey: Have you tried a product made by GUNK called concentrated purple degreaser? It may take a little detective work to find it. Start with an automotive or farm supply store. It comes in a spray bottle or by the gallon.
carolramey said
on 2/9/2008 I have tried your dishwashing liquid and oxyclean but it is not working on my son's clothing. He works for a railroad company that checks the stability of the rails. He doesn't have little spots but seems that his clothing is saturated in heavy duty oil. I have tried washing the same clothing 3 times and ended out going to buy new jeans. The company does not give him a clothing allowance and I desperately need help.
jimdris said
on 11/22/2007 For work clothes which frequently get lots of automotive-type oil stains, I have tried hot water in the washing machine with twice the detergent that you would normally use, with good overall (not perfect) results.