First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot excess oil with a paper towel or absorbent cloth. Don't rub, since that spreads the stain.
- Keep the fabric dry, and don't rinse it before you pretreat.
- Check the care label first, since it sets how hot the water can go.
Butter, olive oil and other cooking fats bind into fabric fibers and leave a spot that plain water won't lift. Polyester is especially oil-loving, so a greasy mark on it can darken over time, and oil left in fabric can age into a yellow stain. Whether the garment is washable or dry-clean only decides how far you can go at home, so check the care label before you start.
Work a prewash stain spray made for oil into the spot before the garment sees the washer. Butter on a white shirt and olive oil on jeans call for different handling, so check the fabric first. An enzyme pretreater is worth reaching for on coconut oil or vegetable oil, especially if the mark has been there a while.
6 items
What you'll need
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- Paper towels or an absorbent clothTo lift the oil off without pushing it deeper. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid dish soapIts surfactants break down grease. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentFor the wash after the spot is rinsed. (opens Amazon)
- Warm waterTo rinse out the dish soap before the wash.
- Dry-cleaning solventFor a faint stain that is still there after the wash. (opens Amazon)
- A clean white cloth (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
How to get cooking oil out of clothes
Step 1 of 7
Blot off the excess oil
Lay a paper towel over the spot and press firmly so it soaks up the oil. Swap in a fresh towel as the first one fills, and keep going until it comes up clean. Work from the edges toward the center so the oil doesn't spread.
Step 2 of 7
Massage in the dish soap
Apply liquid dishwashing detergent directly to the stain and massage it in gently with your fingers. Liquid laundry detergent or a commercial pretreatment works too, so use whichever you have on hand.
Tip. Work from both sides of the fabric when you can.
Careful. Don't use bar soap on a fresh stain; it sets many stains.
Step 3 of 75-10 minutes
Let the detergent sit
Leave the detergent on the stain for 5-10 minutes so it can loosen the grease. Butter needs the longer end of that range, so give it the full 10 minutes.
Tip. Set a timer, since this wait is easy to cut short.
Step 4 of 7
Rinse the spot thoroughly
Flush the spot with warm water until the dish soap is fully out. Rinse from the back of the fabric so the oil isn't pushed further in.
Step 5 of 7
Wash in the hottest safe water
Wash the item with laundry detergent in the hottest water the care label allows. If you can't find a care label, use warm water, because the fabric may not handle hot.
Tip. Hot water suits sturdy cotton and linen; synthetics and delicates need cooler water.
Step 6 of 7
Air-dry, then check the spot
Hang the item to air-dry, then check the spot in good light. Damp fabric can hide leftover oil, so judge it only once it's fully dry, and if any remains, go back to blotting the oil with the fabric dry.
Careful. Keep the item out of the dryer and away from the iron until the stain is gone; heat sets it.
Step 7 of 7
Sponge on dry-cleaning solvent
If a faint stain is left, dab dry-cleaning solvent onto a clean white cloth and sponge the spot with it, not straight onto the fabric. Rinse the solvent out with water afterward, then wash the item again.
Careful. Work with solvent in a well-ventilated room, away from open flame, pilot lights and sparks, and don't smoke.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for cooking oil
Use a liquid laundry detergent or a commercial pretreatment for most spots, and keep a dry-cleaning solvent for stubborn ones.
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
ECOS OXO Brite Stain & Odor Remover Pre-Wash Spray
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on this fabric, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Cooking Oil on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
A clean spot looks the same as the rest of the fabric once it's dry, with no darker ring or greasy sheen. If the fabric still looks clear but damp, wait until it's completely dry before you judge it, since wet fabric hides oil. Any darker patch after drying means the oil is still there.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
On white, bleach-safe cotton or linen, the hot wash can take chlorine bleach, about 1/3 cup in the wash. Add it only as the final step, after the spot is fully pretreated and everything is rinsed out, and dilute it first.
Use color-safe bleach on whites that contain spandex, and skip chlorine on anything that isn't cotton or linen.
Colors and denim
Colored fabric does best with warm water rather than hot, so set the wash to the cooler end of what the label allows. Test any oxygen bleach product on a hidden seam first, since colors can change.
Denim is sturdy, so the steps above work on it without changes. Oil stains also darken over time, so treat shirts and jeans soon after the spill.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk, wool, mohair, velvet and other delicates need a gentler route than the steps above. Skip the dish soap and the washing machine, since agitation makes wool felt and shrink, and dish soap is unsafe on silk and velvet.
Blot the spot without rubbing, since rubbing damages silk, and take the item to a dry cleaner. Never use chlorine bleach or enzyme detergent on these fibers, and don't iron velvet, since heat and pressure flatten the nap.
Dry-clean-only items
Dry-clean-only garments can't go through the washer, so the wash steps don't apply to them. Blot the stain as usual and take the item to a dry cleaner before anything else, pointing out the oil so they can treat it.
A cleaner can pick the right solvent for the fabric, which matters more than any home step for these garments. Ask them to check the stain before they clean the whole item.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An oil stain that has aged in the fabric is the hardest kind to lift. Place clean absorbent material under the stain, then lubricate the spot with mineral oil or lard, never a vegetable oil.
Apply a dry spotter, which is one part coconut or mineral oil to eight parts dry-cleaning solvent, with a pad. Every 5 minutes, lift the pad and tamp the spot with a brush or spoon, but only on strong fabrics.
Flush with solvent and repeat until nothing more lifts, alternating the steps as needed. Some old stains don't fully come out, and that's realistic, so if it's still visible after a few rounds, stop and take the item to a cleaner.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on cooking oil?
Melted, hot or popcorn butter stains follow the same steps, because butter is a fat and dish soap breaks it down the same way. Most home remedies you'll see are for other stains, so this is what holds up for clothes.
Works1Helps1Skip4
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't stop before the stain is gone
Oil stains tend to reappear just when you think you've seen the last of them. Keep checking after each round until nothing shows, and don't call it done on a faint shadow.
Don't leave unsaturated oil in the fabric
Unsaturated oils that aren't fully removed age and form yellow stains. That's why the full wash and the check after drying matter more than a quick rinse.
Don't mix stain removers
Chlorine bleach and ammonia must never be mixed, and mixed products can give off hazardous fumes. If you need more than one product, rinse thoroughly between them.
Don't use gasoline, lighter fluid or benzene
These aren't safe spot solvents, even though they cut grease. Use only dry-cleaning solvent, and only for the solvent sponge.
Don't wash with dish soap still in the fabric
Dish soap makes heavy suds, and a load with it still in will foam up in the machine. Rinse it out at the sink before the item goes into the washer.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The spot reappeared after drying
Oil was hiding in damp fabric. Repeat the dish detergent treatment on dry fabric, then wash and air-dry again.
A polyester shirt has a darker spot than before
Polyester holds oil, so the stain can darken over time. Work through the detergent steps again, then use the solvent method if it persists.
The garment went through the dryer
Treat it as set in. Start from dry fabric and use the dry-cleaning solvent method with an absorbent pad underneath.
There is no dish detergent in the house
Use liquid laundry detergent or a commercial pretreatment in the same way.
When to call a professional
If the stain survives the solvent sponge and a few rounds of the set-in treatment, a professional cleaner is the safest next step. Tell them what the stain is and how old it is, since that changes the solvent they use. This is also the right call for silk, wool and dry-clean-only items.
Questions
Does butter stain clothes, and will it come out?
Yes, butter stains clothes, but a fresh spot usually comes out with the steps above. Blot it, pretreat with dish soap, rinse, and wash in the hottest water the fabric allows. Butter that has dried for a while takes longer, so keep working through the steps before you give up.
Does olive oil stain clothes, and do olive oil stains come out?
Yes, olive oil stains clothes. Most fresh spots come out with the steps above, but polyester is an oil-loving fiber, so olive oil on it can darken over time and is best treated quickly.
Does coconut oil stain clothes?
Yes, coconut oil stains clothes like any other cooking oil, so the steps above apply. Blot it first, then pretreat with dish soap before the wash.
Do other cooking oils stain clothes?
Yes, canola, peanut, vegetable and other cooking oils all stain clothes and respond to the same steps. Unsaturated oils are the ones to treat quickly, since they age and turn yellow if they're left in the fabric.
Which product should I use on a cooking oil stain?
A liquid laundry detergent or commercial pretreatment works, and dish soap works too. You only need a dry-cleaning solvent for a stain that's still there after the wash.
Can an oil stain come out after it has dried?
Often, yes, but it takes more work than a fresh spot. Work through the steps again with the fabric dry, then use the set-in treatment if it's still visible.
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.