How to Get Cooking Oil out of Clothing

Cooking oil stains require prompt treatment. Older stains or those set by the heat of a dryer may become impossible to remove later. Whether the stain occurs from oil splatters during cooking or from a few droplets spilled, treat immediately to make the garment look like new again. Inspect all clothing for dark stains before laundering so you can pretreat the fabric before the stain sets.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry pretreatment spray
• Heavy-duty detergent
• Laundry detergent

Instructions

1. Saturate the oil stain with a laundry pretreatment aerosol spray or a heavy-duty liquid detergent. Soak the stain for at least one minute.

2. Wash clothing in the washing machine on the normal cycle, using the hottest water safe for the fabric type. Use a regular laundry detergent at the amount recommended on the label.

3. Remove clothing from the washing machine and inspect it for any remaining stains. Pretreat with the spray or detergent a second time if stains remain, then wash again in hot water.

4. Dry the clothing as usual once the stain is completely removed. Machine drying sets stains, so only dry once all oil is gone from the fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a dry-cleaning solvent to remove the stain if pretreating doesn't work. Follow the instructions on the solvent packaging for proper use.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Vegetable Oil
• Iowa State University Extension; Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal; Janis Stone; 2009