First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Get the excess off before anything else, while the oil is still sitting on the surface.
- Pretest any remover on a hidden spot first, and stop if the color transfers or changes.
- Check the care label now, since it sets how hot the water can be and whether solvent is safe.
Oil on clothing is a greasy mark that water alone won't lift, because fats and oils don't dissolve in water. A fresh spot is the easiest case, but old or dried oil takes more passes and sometimes several treatments. Whether you can wash the piece at home or need a dry cleaner depends on the care label.
Dish soap for oil stains suits a fresh shirt, so work it into the fabric before you wash. Old or dried oil stains need a prewash stain remover spray or stick applied for each repeat pass. If the label says dry-clean only, a dry-cleaning solvent spot remover can lift the spot, but leave the rest to a professional.
6 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Clean, dry white cloth or white paper towelsLifts oil off the surface without rubbing it in. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergent or prewash stain removerWorks into light oil stains before the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid dish soapA detergent option for light stains, and a safer choice than bar soap. (opens Amazon)
- Dry-cleaning-type spot removerUsed from the back of heavy stains, on paper towels. (opens Amazon)
- Extra paper towelsGo under a heavy stain so the oil has somewhere to go. (opens Amazon)
- Detergent booster (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
6 steps
How to get oil out of clothes
Step 1 of 6
Blot up the excess oil
Press a clean, dry white cloth or white paper towel onto the stain and lift off as much oil as it will give up. Work from the edges toward the middle so the oil doesn't spread across the fabric.
Tip. Switch to a fresh section of towel each time it picks up oil.
Step 2 of 6
Pretreat light stains with detergent
For a light stain, work a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent, liquid detergent booster or liquid dish soap into the mark with your fingers. Once it's fully worked in, go straight to the wash and skip the heavy treatment.
Careful. Never rub a fresh stain with bar soap, since soap sets many stains.
Step 3 of 6
Treat heavy stains with solvent
For a heavy stain, lay it facedown on clean paper towels and apply a dry-cleaning-type spot remover to the back of the mark. Replace the paper towels underneath often, let it dry, then rinse the spot with plain water.
Careful. Dry-cleaning solvents are flammable, so use them only in a well-ventilated room with no flames, pilot lights or sparks nearby.
Step 4 of 6
Use a solvent pad for cooking oil
For vegetable or cooking oil, keep a pad dampened with a commercial solvent spot remover on the stain. Change the pad each time it picks up oil, and keep going until no more comes out, then let it dry.
Step 5 of 6
Wash in the hottest safe water
Wash the item in the hottest water the fabric can take, following the care label. If the fabric is colored, check the label before going hot, because hot water is only allowed on some colors.
Careful. If you're not sure what the stain is, skip hot water, since it can set protein stains such as milk, egg or blood.
Step 6 of 6
Check the mark before drying
Look at the spot in good light before the item goes anywhere near heat. If an oil mark remains, repeat the pretreatment and wash again, since some stains need several treatments.
Tip. Daylight or a bright lamp shows faint oil marks that a dim room hides.
Careful. Heat sets oil. Keep the item out of the dryer and away from the iron until the stain is gone, because it may become impossible to remove.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for oil
For light stains, a prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent is the product type to reach for, and a dry-cleaning-type spot remover is the one for heavy marks.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
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
Oil on every material
Outdoor4
Clothes & laundry5
Leather & suede2
Carpet & rugs1
Kitchen & bath8
Skin & hair1
Floors5
Furniture & upholstery2
Bedding & linens4
Walls1
Shoes & accessories2
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
A treated spot should look lighter after each round, and a fully treated mark matches the fabric around it. If the spot darkens or turns yellow as it dries, oil is still there, so go back to the pretreatment.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton and linen can take the full range of steps, including the hottest water the label allows and the strongest pretreat. Whites are also the only clothes where chlorine bleach can be used, as a final trace after everything else.
Collars and cuffs hold body oil, so pretreat those spots a second time before the wash.
Colors and denim
Colored items and denim need a colorfast check before you use solvent, chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach, because the dye can lift or change. Test a hidden seam or the inside hem first, and stop if any color transfers.
Hot water is only right for colored fabric when the care label allows it, so use a cooler wash when it doesn't.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk and wool can't take chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, enzyme detergent, heat or hot water, so skip all of those. Don't rub or brush a stain on silk, and don't agitate wool in water, since both damage the fibers.
Blot gently and use only a small amount of liquid dish soap in water for the pretreat, then rinse. Velvet needs solvent-based cleaners, never water or an iron, and heirloom textiles should never go in a washing machine.
Dry-clean-only items
If the care label says dry-clean only, skip the washer and the home pretreat, since water-based steps aren't safe for it. Take it to a dry cleaner as soon as you can, and let them know it's oil.
Blotting the excess with a clean white cloth before you go is fine, and it won't spread the stain.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old oil is harder to remove than fresh oil, so expect to repeat the solvent and pretreat steps more than once. Some stains need several treatments before they're gone, and a very old stain may lighten rather than vanish completely.
A stain that has dried or been through the dryer has been set by heat, which makes it harder still, so go back to the solvent steps instead of the wash. For cooking oil, a dry-spotter pad made from 1 part mineral oil (not a cooking oil) to 8 parts dry-cleaning solvent can sit on the stain, then be flushed with dry-cleaning solvent.
If a faint mark is still there on white cotton or linen, chlorine bleach can be used as a final step: 1/2 cup in 2 cups of water, added 5 to 6 minutes into the wash. Only use it after any solvent or ammonia has been rinsed out, never at full strength, and never on silk, wool or spandex.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on oil?
Plenty of household remedies get passed around for oil, but only a few belong on clothes. Here's where each one fits, and why the steps above leave out the rest.
Works1Skip7
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use cooking oil to loosen a stain
It can seem like a way to loosen oil, but unsaturated oils that aren't completely removed age and form yellow stains. Stick to the pretreat and solvent steps instead.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or vinegar
Chlorine bleach mixed with ammonia, vinegar, rubbing alcohol or other acids can give off toxic fumes. Rinse each product out with plain water before you move on to the next one.
Don't use nail polish remover on acetate
Acetone and nail polish remover dissolve acetate, triacetate and modacrylic. Check the fabric type on the label before you try any solvent on a blouse or lining.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The mark is still there after one wash
Repeat the pretreatment and wash. Some stains need several treatments; check the item before drying each time.
The stain is old or dried
Old or dried oil is harder to remove than fresh oil. Repeat the solvent and pretreatment steps; some stains need many treatments.
A light pretreatment did not lift the oil
Move to the heavy-stain method: place the stain facedown on clean paper towels, apply a dry-cleaning-type spot remover to the back, replace the paper towels often, let it dry, then rinse.
Cooking oil keeps coming back
Keep a pad dampened with a commercial solvent spot remover on the stain, changing the pad as it picks up oil, until no more comes out. Then let it dry.
When to call a professional
If an item is dry-clean only, or the stain survives several rounds of home treatment, a dry cleaner is the next step. Tell them it's oil and what you've already tried, so they can choose the right solvent from the start.
Questions
Will oil stains come out of clothes?
A fresh oil stain can come out completely when you pretreat it right away and wash in the hottest water the care label allows. Old, dried or heat-set stains are much harder, and they may need several rounds or a dry cleaner.
Can dry cleaners remove oil stains?
Often, yes, since dry-cleaning solvent is well suited to oil. Dry-clean-only items should go there first, and stains that survive home treatment are worth taking in too.
Is hot or cold water better for oil stains?
For oil, the hottest water the care label allows is the better choice. Cold water is only the safer pick for colored or delicate items where the label rules out hot water.
Do I need a special stain remover for oil?
No. A prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent handles light oil stains, and a dry-cleaning-type spot remover covers heavy ones. You don't need a special oil product to get started.
How do you get the smell of oil out of clothes?
A lingering smell usually means oil is still in the fabric, so treat it again rather than just washing it more. Repeat the pretreatment and wash, and keep checking the spot until the smell is gone.
Does dish soap work on oil stains?
Yes, liquid dish soap works as a pretreat for light oil stains. It's a detergent rather than bar soap, so it doesn't set the stain the way bar soap can.
Do body oil and baby oil need different treatment?
No, body, baby and automotive oil are all oil-based and follow the same steps. Vegetable or cooking oil is the one that uses the solvent pad instead of the light pretreat.
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.