First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off the excess gravy without spreading it.
- Blot, don't rub.
- Treat the oily part first.
- Test any solvent or remover on a hidden spot.
Gravy stains on clothes are a mix of fat, meat juices and starch, so the greasy part has to be dealt with before the rest will lift. Gravy stains on white clothes show up plainly, and old gravy stains on clothes are harder, since dryer heat will set whatever is left behind. Checking the spot before it goes anywhere near the dryer is what keeps a small mark from turning permanent.
Work a prewash stain remover stick or spray into a gravy stain on a white shirt before it goes near the washer. A mark that has dried on responds best when the pretreater sits for a while, so give it time. Dry-clean-only pieces belong with a cleaner, and colors or denim should only get a gentle pretreater.
6 items
What you'll need
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- Dry-cleaning solvent or a stain stickLifts the greasy part before anything else. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentPretreats the spot and works into the grease. (opens Amazon)
- Prewash spotAn option in place of the detergent for stubborn spots. (opens Amazon)
- Stain remover (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleachThe soak for spots that linger after the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Clean cloths or paper towelsFor blotting, never rubbing. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
How to get gravy out of clothes
Step 1 of 7
Scrape off the excess gravy
Use a spoon or the back of a butter knife to lift off as much gravy as you can. Blot the spot with a clean cloth or paper towel, working from the outside edge toward the center so the grease doesn't spread.
Step 2 of 7
Treat the greasy part first
Work a dry-cleaning solvent or a stain stick into the grease by pressing gently with a clean cloth. Then rinse the spot in the sink in hot water, or in cool water for silk, wool and other delicates.
Tip. Slide a paper towel under the spot so the grease has somewhere to go.
Careful. Use solvents only with good ventilation and no open flame.
Step 3 of 75 minutes
Work in liquid laundry detergent
Rub liquid laundry detergent into the spot with your fingertips. Or cover the spot with liquid detergent and let it sit for 5 minutes before going on.
Step 4 of 7
Try a prewash spot remover
If you'd rather use a commercial product, treat the spot with a prewash spot and stain remover in place of the detergent. Then launder the item as the care label allows and see what's left.
Step 5 of 715 minutes
Soak in oxygen bleach if it lingers
If the stain is still there, soak the whole garment in warm water with oxygen bleach. Treat the whole garment, not just the spot, because spot-bleaching can damage the dye. Keep the soak to 15 minutes, then rinse.
Tip. Dissolve the bleach in the warm water before the garment goes in.
Careful. If the color hasn't lifted within 15 minutes, a longer soak won't remove it.
Step 6 of 7
Wash on the hottest safe setting
Wash the garment on the hottest temperature the care label allows, with your usual detergent. Skip the hot wash for silk, wool and any item whose care label is missing.
Step 7 of 7
Check the spot before drying
Hold the item up in good light and look for any shadow, oily sheen or color left in the spot. If you see anything, repeat the treatment that matches what's left before the item goes near the dryer.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for gravy
Choose an all-fabric oxygen bleach rather than a stronger product for colored clothes, and test it on a hidden spot first.
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover - Free & Clear
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.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
A clean spot looks the same as the rest of the fabric, both damp and dry. A faint shadow still counts as stain, so repeat the treatment rather than calling it done.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton and other launder-white fabrics can take the hottest wash the label allows, so the oxygen soak is the color step here. Give collars and cuffs the same pretreatment as the front, because they often pick up the most grease.
Skip chlorine bleach, even on whites. If a white shirt still shows a shadow after the wash, repeat the oxygen soak before drying.
Colors and denim
Colored clothes and jeans can fade, so rinse them in warm water rather than hot. Warm water also keeps the dye from bleeding while you work the spot.
Oxygen bleach is only safe on colorfast fabric, so test the soak on a hidden seam first. If the test spot changes color, skip the soak and take the item to a dry cleaner.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk and wool can't take the oxygen soak, hot water or chlorine bleach, so skip those steps entirely. Use a solvent or stain stick and cool water in place of the warm soak, and never a biological (enzyme) detergent on silk or wool.
Blot rather than rub, because rubbing damages silk and agitation makes wool felt and shrink. If the spot survives the solvent and rinse, stop and take the item to a dry cleaner rather than soaking it.
Dry-clean-only items
If the care label says dry clean only, don't treat it at home with water-based products, since they aren't safe on it. Take it to a dry cleaner as soon as you can and tell them it's gravy, so they know it has fat and meat juices.
Velvet marked S needs a dry-cleaning or solvent-based cleaner, and it should never be ironed, because heat flattens the nap. Heirloom textiles should never go in a washing machine, even on a gentle cycle.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old gravy stains are harder to remove than fresh ones, and a spot that has been through several washes may only fade. Start with the same steps, but give the solvent flush more time, working it through the spot while the stain keeps lifting.
For a dried-in spot, flush the solvent through until the stain stops lifting and let the item dry. Then do the oxygen soak in 1 quart warm water with 1 tablespoon oxygen bleach for 15 minutes at most, and rinse well.
If the spot has been through the dryer, it's usually set, and a second treatment may only lighten it rather than remove it. Be realistic, because some faint shadows can stay, so decide whether the item is worth one more try or a dry cleaner. If the gravy soaked into a rug or carpet rather than clothing, the Carpet & Rugs guide covers that surface.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on gravy?
Many home remedies were made for other stains, so only one of the usual suggestions belongs in a gravy treatment. Most of the usual suggestions don't match gravy, so start by treating the greasy part before anything else.
Works1Helps1Skip4
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
If they mix by accident: Don't use the mixture; ventilate the room and avoid breathing fumes or touching it; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for disposal advice or if anyone feels unwell.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't put it in the dryer or iron it
Heat is what locks gravy into fabric, so keep the item away from the dryer and iron until the spot is completely gone. Even a faint shadow can set for good in the dryer. Air-dry only after you've checked it.
Don't rub the gravy in
Rubbing pushes the grease deeper into the fibers and spreads the stain over a wider area. Blot instead, pressing gently from the outside edge toward the center.
Don't mix your stain removers
If you need more than one product, rinse the garment thoroughly between each one. Mixed products can give off hazardous fumes, and chlorine bleach must never be mixed with ammonia, vinegar or other acids.
Don't reach for bar soap
Bar soap sets many stains, so never rub it into a fresh gravy spot. Liquid laundry detergent is the safer choice for the steps above.
When to call a professional
Take it to a dry cleaner if the stain is old, large or still there after the soak, or if the care label says dry clean only. Tell them it's gravy, since the fat and meat juices matter to how they treat it. Stop home treatment if the fabric starts to change color or feel thin.
Questions
Does gravy stain clothes?
Yes. Gravy combines fat, meat juices and starch, and the greasy part soaks into fabric. A fresh spot usually comes out with the steps above, but heat from the dryer sets whatever is left.
Can gravy come out after the clothes have been washed and dried?
Sometimes, but it's harder. Old stains are more difficult to remove than fresh ones, and drying has likely set part of it. Repeat the greasy-part treatment and the oxygen soak, then check again before you dry it.
Can you use chlorine bleach on gravy?
No, chlorine bleach isn't needed for gravy on whites or colors. The oxygen bleach soak is the bleach step for both whites and colors, and it's the one to reach for if a spot lingers after the wash. If the item is colored, test the soak on a hidden spot first.
What if the gravy is on silk or wool?
Skip the oxygen soak and the hot rinse, and use a solvent or stain stick with cool water instead. If the spot doesn't respond after that, a dry cleaner is the safer choice.
What should I do if the care label is missing?
Treat the item as a delicate until you know the fabric: blot, use a solvent or stain stick, and avoid bleach and hot water. If you still can't tell, take it to a dry cleaner rather than guessing.
Do I need to test before treating a gravy stain?
Yes, for colored items and for any remover. Test the oxygen bleach and any solvent on a hidden spot, such as a seam, and wait to see whether the color changes.
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.