First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot the oil with a clean, dry white cloth or white paper towels.
- Work from the outside of the spot inward so it doesn't spread.
- Skip the iron and hot air until the stain is gone, since heat sets it.
Oil that soaks into bedsheets from body oil or massage oil tends to spread through the weave overnight, so the stain is often bigger and deeper than it looked. Cotton and linen can take plenty of treatment once the stain is out, but heat sets oil into the fibers, so keep the dryer and iron away. Fresh stains are the easy ones, while an oil that has been through a few washes can take several passes to release.
Massage oil and body oil marks on sheets should be pretreated before they go in the wash. Coconut oil and olive oil marks on white sheets follow the same steps. If a rancid oil smell hangs on after washing, an enzyme laundry pretreater is the product to reach for.
Before you start
What sheets, towels & table linens can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
6 items
What you'll need
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- Clean, dry white cloth or white paper towelsBlots up the oil without rubbing it in. (opens Amazon)
- Clean absorbent cloth or paper towels for under the spotCatches oil that pushes through the sheet. (opens Amazon)
- Commercial stain cleaner (oil or grease type)Lifts the oil out of the fibers so it can be flushed away.
- Mild liquid hand dishwashing detergentUsed diluted, 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of warm water, for the follow-up step. (opens Amazon)
- Laundry detergent formulated to remove dirt and odorsWashes out leftover oil and smell. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleach (optional, colorfast white items only)Removes final traces when the care label allows it. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Blot up the oil
Press a clean, dry white cloth or white paper towels onto the spot to soak up as much oil as it will give up. Work from the edge toward the center, and switch to a dry section each time the cloth fills.
Step 2 of 7
Apply the commercial cleaner
Slide a clean absorbent cloth under the spot so oil that pushes through has somewhere to go. Sponge the commercial cleaner onto the stain, then cover it with a pad dampened with the same cleaner.
Careful. Pretest the cleaner on a hidden spot first and stop if color transfers or changes.
Step 3 of 7
Change the pad as it fills
Swap in a clean pad each time the old one picks up stain, and keep the spot damp with cleaner. Let it stand for as long as stain keeps coming out, which can take a while on a wide patch.
Step 4 of 7
Flush and let it dry
Flush the spot with more commercial cleaner, then repeat the pad and flush cycle until no more stain lifts. Let the sheet dry completely before you move on.
Step 5 of 7
Work in diluted dish soap
Sponge the spot with plain water first, then mix 1 teaspoon of mild liquid hand dishwashing detergent into 1 cup of warm water. Apply it with an absorbent pad, let it stand while stain comes out, change the pad as it picks up stain, and flush with water.
Step 6 of 7
Wash with odor-removing detergent
Once the spot has lifted, launder the sheet in a detergent formulated to remove dirt and odors. Use the hottest temperature the care label recommends, then air dry it and look at the spot once it's dry.
Step 7 of 7
Finish with chlorine bleach if needed
If a faint shadow still shows on a white sheet, rinse all the other products out with plain water first. Then use chlorine bleach, diluted, as the care label allows, and rinse and wash the sheet again.
Careful. Only on colorfast items that pass a bleachability test on a hidden area; skip it on wool, silk, mohair, leather and spandex.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for oil on sheets, towels & table linens
Choose a commercial stain cleaner labeled for oil or grease on washable fabric, not a general all-purpose spray.
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 sheets, towels & table linens, 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
Each pass should pull a little more oil into the pad, and the sheet should look lighter after every wash. A faint shadow that's still visible while the fabric is wet means it's not done yet.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
Massage oil
Massage oil follows the same steps as other oils, so start with the blot and the cleaner. Put the absorbent cloth under the spot first, since oil that spreads wide is more likely to soak through to the mattress.
If you don't know what's in the bottle, treat it as lubricating oil and follow the steps as written. Expect the dish soap step to take more than one round on a wide patch.
White sheets
White sheets can take the chlorine step at the end, but only after the rinse and only if the care label allows it. Run the bleachability test on a hidden area before you use it on the visible spot.
Check the spot in plain daylight, since a faint mark is easy to miss indoors. Once it's clear, a normal wash finishes the job.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old oil is harder to remove than fresh oil, so the steps above may not lift all of it on the first pass. Repeat the pretreatment and solvent steps as many times as it takes, since some stains need several rounds. Work slowly and check the spot after each round.
Dry-cleaning solvent can help with stubborn spots, and it goes on from the wrong side of the sheet. Dab it on in small amounts and blot before it dries, rather than soaking the fabric.
Use the solvent in a well-ventilated room with no flames, pilot lights or sparks nearby, because it's flammable. Heat from a dryer or an iron can set the stain for good, so keep the sheet away from both until the spot is clear. If a shadow remains after several rounds, accept that the mark may not come out fully.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on oil on sheets, towels & table linens?
Most home fixes for oil aren't built for fabric, so dish soap is the only one worth using. Skip the rest, each for a specific reason. If you want to treat the spot without a full wash, the blot, cleaner and dish soap work on the spot itself, but still launder the sheet at the end.
Works1Skip5
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub the oil in
Rubbing pushes the oil deeper into the fibers and spreads it past the edge of the spot. Blot from the outside in with a dry white cloth, then move on to the cleaner.
Don't use bar soap on it
Bar soap sets many stains, and it does that most readily on a fresh spot. Stick to the diluted dish soap from the steps instead.
Don't use cooking oil to loosen it
Adding cooking oil to loosen the stain only adds more oil. If any of it stays behind, it ages and forms yellow stains.
Don't skip the test on a corner
Each cleaner can react differently with dye and finish, so try it on an inconspicuous corner first. Stop if any color comes onto your cloth, and switch to a gentler option before you go further.
Don't pour undiluted dish soap on the spot
Full-strength detergent is hard to rinse out of cotton and can leave a patchy ring behind. Dilute it in water first, then flush the area with plain water until no soap shows.
Don't leave a liquid pretreatment on too long
Some liquid and spray pretreatments can fade bright or fluorescent dyes if they sit longer than the label allows. Follow the timing printed on the bottle, and rinse the area before moving to the next product.
When to call a professional
A dry cleaner is worth it when the sheets are silk or another delicate fiber, or when the oil has spread across most of the piece. Give them the fiber content, name the oil, and list every product that went on it so they don't layer another remover over yours.
Questions
Does coconut oil stain sheets?
Yes. Coconut oil is a fat that doesn't dissolve in water, so it can leave a greasy mark just like other oils. Blot it right away and work through the steps above.
Do olive oil, baby oil, and other oils stain sheets?
Yes, olive oil and baby oil both stain sheets, and the same steps work for each. Give the cleaner time to work before you move on to the dish soap.
Do Vaseline and petroleum jelly stain sheets?
Yes. Petroleum jelly is greasy and water-resistant, so it behaves like oil on fabric and won't wash out with water alone. Scrape off any thick excess first, then treat the spot as you would any oil stain, and do the same for ointments.
How can I prevent body oil stains on sheets?
Put a towel or a washable layer over the sheet where you lie, especially when you use lotion or massage oil. Wash sheets often, since oil that sits in the fabric is harder to lift.
Can I use dry-cleaning solvent on sheets?
Yes, but only after the cleaner and dish soap have had their turn, and from the wrong side of the sheet. The set-in options below explain how to use it safely.
What if the stain is still there after the wash?
Treat it again with the same steps rather than moving on, because some stains need several rounds. If a mark still shows once the sheet is dry, the set-in options below are the next step.
Can oily white sheets go through the hottest cycle?
Yes, once the oil is gone, since cotton and linen handle the hottest setting on the care label. Until then, keep the stain out of hot water and out of the dryer, because heat can set the oil deeper into the weave. Run a cold pretreatment first and save the hot cycle for the final wash.
Is it safe to use oxygen bleach on colored sheets?
It depends on whether the fabric is colorfast and whether the label permits bleach at all. Chlorine bleach is the riskier choice on color, so test a hidden spot first and only use it on plain white cloth. If any dye bleeds, rinse right away and stop.
Is an overnight soak safe for sheets with oil on them?
A cold presoak overnight is fine for sheets when the product is an enzyme formula made for laundry. It gives the enzymes time to break down the residue that a quick wash leaves behind. Keep an eye on the clock with any other pretreatment, since timing matters more than the soak itself.
Oil on other materials
Other stains on sheets, towels & table linens
Start from the bigger picture
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.