First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Dust talcum powder on the grease and brush it off.
- Lift off any solid matter with a rounded spoon or dull knife before adding liquid.
- Blot liquids with a clean, dry white cloth or paper towels. Don't rub.
- Keep heat away until the stain is gone.
Grease is thickened oil or petroleum lubricant, so water alone won't lift it and it needs a dry-cleaning solvent before detergent can do its work. A fresh spot is easiest to clear, but older grease is harder, and after a trip through the dryer removal may not be possible at all. Motor oil and animal fat fall in the same oily group, so cooking marks and car grease are handled much the same way.
Put a dry-cleaning solvent on the spot before any water touches it, since water alone won't move oil. Bike grease and engine grease on clothes often need a second round of pretreater before the wash. If old grease stains won't budge after that, a dry cleaner is the safer bet than more scrubbing.
6 items
What you'll need
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- Talcum powderSoaks up as much of the grease as possible before anything wet touches it. (opens Amazon)
- Clean white cloth or white paper towelsBlotting with white material lets you see what's coming out without adding color. (opens Amazon)
- Dry-cleaning-type spot removerBreaks down heavy grease that water and detergent alone can't lift. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergent or prewash stain removerPretreats the spot so the wash can finish the job. (opens Amazon)
- Heavy-duty liquid laundry detergentGoes in the wash at the maker's recommended amount for a normal load. (opens Amazon)
- Detergent booster (opens Amazon)
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5 steps
How to get grease out of clothes
Step 1 of 5
Absorb the grease first
Lift off any solid or semi-solid matter with a rounded spoon or dull knife before adding anything liquid. Then dust talcum powder over the spot to soak up as much grease as you can, and brush it off thoroughly.
Tip. Work from the outside edge of the stain toward the middle so it doesn't spread.
Step 2 of 5
Treat heavy stains from the back
For a heavy stain, lay it facedown on clean white paper towels so the grease moves into them. Apply a dry-cleaning-type spot remover to the back of the stain, then let it dry before you rinse it out. Light stains skip this step and go straight to the pretreatment.
Tip. Replace the paper towels as they soak through, or the grease will just come back onto the fabric.
Careful. Dry-cleaning solvent is flammable, so work in a well-ventilated room with no flames, pilot lights or sparks, and don't smoke.
Step 3 of 5
Pretreat with liquid detergent
For a light stain, or once the solvent step is done, work a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent or liquid detergent booster into the spot. Use your fingers to work it through, and leave it on the stain until you're ready to wash.
Step 4 of 5
Wash in the hottest safe water
Launder the item in the hottest water the fabric can take, using a heavy-duty liquid detergent in the amount the maker recommends for a normal load. Check the care label first, because the right temperature depends on the fabric.
Tip. Wash the stained item by itself or with similar colors so nothing else picks up the grease.
Step 5 of 5
Check before it goes in the dryer
Look at the spot in good light before you dry the item. If any shadow remains, a second treatment may be necessary, so go back and repeat the steps. Only dry it once nothing is left.
Careful. Don't put the item in the dryer until the stain is completely gone, because dryer heat can make it impossible to remove.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for grease
Look for a dry-cleaning-type spot remover and a heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent. Check the label to make sure the spot remover is safe for your fabric.
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
Grease on every material
Kitchen & bath4
Walls1
Leather & suede2
Clothes & laundry1
Bedding & linens1
Other1
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
The stain should look lighter or smaller after each round, and the fabric should feel clean where the grease was. If the spot still looks darker, greasy or shiny when it's dry, it isn't finished, so keep treating it before the dryer.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton and linen can take the full steps, including hot water, and they can take chlorine bleach if the label says it's bleach-safe. Bleach is the last resort for the faint traces that remain, and it only goes in once every solvent and pretreatment product has been rinsed out. Dilute it at 1/2 cup in 2 cups of water, and never use it on silk, wool or spandex.
White items show a faint yellow ring more easily than colors do, so check under good light after each round. If a ring appears, keep the item out of the dryer and repeat the pretreatment before you wash it again.
Colors and denim
Colored fabric and denim can take hot water, but only if the dye is colorfast, so test a hidden spot with the solvent or detergent first. Use chlorine bleach on colors only with care, and never on items that aren't colorfast. Oxygen bleach is safe only on colorfast fabric, so it has to be tested before it goes near the stain.
Pants and jeans carry the grease through thicker fabric at the knees and seams, so give the back of the stain extra time with the solvent before you pretreat. Work the detergent into both sides before you wash.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk, wool, mohair, leather and spandex can't take chlorine bleach, and wool and silk can't take enzyme detergent, so skip those products entirely. Don't rub or brush the stain, since rubbing damages silk and agitation in water makes wool felt and shrink. Dab a dry-cleaning-type solvent onto a white cloth and press it onto the stain instead.
Hoodies, sweatshirts and jackets are usually cotton blends or synthetics, so they can take the standard hot wash, but read the label first. Never iron velvet, since heat and pressure flatten the nap, and keep heat away from every delicate until it's clean.
Dry-clean-only items
Dry-clean-only fabric shouldn't go through a home wash, so skip the hot wash and the oxygen bleach products. Those products aren't made for dry-clean-only fabrics, and a home wash can ruin them. Take the item to a dry cleaner and point out the grease spot, plus any solvent you've already put on it.
If the item is a heirloom textile, don't put it in a washing machine at all, even on a gentle cycle, because it may be destroyed. Let the dry cleaner decide on the rest.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old grease is harder to remove than fresh, and oil stains darken over time, so don't wait on an old spot. If it has oxidized, lubricate it with lard or mineral oil, tamp it gently with a brush or spoon, then flush it with dry-cleaning solvent. Alternate between the two until the stain is gone.
The dry spotter is the next option. Mix 1 part mineral oil with 8 parts dry-cleaning solvent, keep a pad of it on the stain, and blot occasionally. Flush with dry-cleaning solvent and repeat until no more stain comes out.
Once a stain has been through the dryer, removal may be impossible, so it's worth more effort before drying. If a shadow is still there after the repeats, stop rather than rubbing harder, because rubbing spreads the stain and can damage the fibers. A professional cleaner can take it from there.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on grease?
Most of the remedies you'll find online are for other stains or other surfaces, so only a few belong here. A solvent and a laundry detergent handle grease, while the others either fall short or aren't safe on clothes. Any remedy has to match what a solvent and laundry detergent already do for grease.
Helps2Skip4
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub the stain
Rubbing pushes the grease deeper into the weave and can damage the fibers. Blot with a clean, dry white cloth or paper towels instead, and work from the edge toward the center.
Don't use gasoline or lighter fluid
Gasoline and lighter fluid aren't cleaning solvents, and both are flammable. A dry-cleaning-type spot remover, used in a well-ventilated room, is the safe choice for the solvent step.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or acids
Bleach mixed with ammonia gives off toxic fumes, and the same goes for vinegar, rubbing alcohol and other acids. Rinse each product out with plain water before you move on to the next one.
Don't leave a partial stain to age
Oil that isn't fully removed ages and forms yellow stains that are harder to fix later. Don't reach for cooking oil or another oil to loosen the spot either, because it only adds more to the fabric.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
Grease is still visible after one wash
A second treatment may be necessary. Repeat the solvent or pretreatment step on the wet garment and wash hot again.
A white film is left from the powder
Brush the area more thoroughly before any liquid goes on. Any remaining powder will rinse out in the wash.
When to call a professional
If the stain is still there after two rounds of treatment, or the item is silk, wool or dry-clean-only, take it to a dry cleaner. Tell them it's a grease stain and whether it has already been through the dryer.
Questions
Will grease stains come out of clothes?
Yes, most grease stains come out, especially fresh ones. Old or heat-set grease is much harder, and once an item has been through the dryer, removal may be impossible. Treat it promptly and keep it out of the dryer.
Does dish soap remove grease from clothes?
It can help on light spots, because dish soap breaks down grease. Use a mild liquid dish soap mixed with warm water, and skip it on silk, velvet and delicate fabrics. For the main wash, a heavy-duty laundry detergent is the better choice.
How do I get food grease like bacon or pizza grease out of clothes?
Food grease follows the same steps: dust talcum powder on it first, then pretreat and wash in the hottest safe water. An oxygen bleach product can help on food grease, but only on colorfast fabric. Test it on a hidden spot before you use it.
How do I get bike grease or engine grease out of clothes?
Treat a petroleum-based lubricant like a lubricating-oil stain. Sponge it with a solvent spot remover until no more comes out, then let it dry. After that, pretreat and launder in the hottest safe water, and let the fabric air out away from flames before washing.
Why did a grease stain come back after washing or drying?
Oil stains often reappear just when you think they're gone, especially after drying. If the grease wasn't completely removed, it ages and forms yellow stains. Treat the spot again before the item goes near the dryer.
Should I wash a grease stain before treating it?
No. Washing before you treat can set the oil in and leave a yellow mark. Absorb the grease and apply the solvent and pretreatment first, then wash in the hottest safe water.
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.