First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot the spill with a clean, dry white cloth or paper towels.
- Cover it with cornmeal, sand, sawdust or Fuller's Earth while the oil is still wet.
- Pretest any cleaner on a hidden spot, and stop if the color transfers or changes.
Oil on tile spreads quickly across the floor, so the first few minutes matter. Oil doesn't dissolve in water, so a plain rinse mostly moves the film around, and detergent with solvent does the real lifting. Fresh spills come up far more easily than oil that has been sitting, which can take several treatments before the tile looks clean.
On slate or terracotta, oil can soak into the porous surface, so don't rush to scrub it off. Work with microfiber cloths and turn to a clean side often, so the oil doesn't spread back across the kitchen tiles. Tough oil stains that won't shift after several passes are a good time to call a professional.
Before you start
What tile can take
Safe to use1
- Water
Use with care7
- Hot water
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
- Heat, once the stain is out
7 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Clean, dry white cloth or paper towelsBlots the liquid up without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Cornmeal, sand, sawdust or Fuller's EarthSoaks up fresh oil before you wash. (opens Amazon)
- Laundry detergentMakes the strong solution for the first wash. (opens Amazon)
- Dry dishwasher detergentCuts the greasy film left after the wash.
- Stiff nylon or plastic brushScrubs without scratching glazed tile.
- Clean water and a towelRinses the floor and dries it.
- Trisodium phosphateOnly for the soak on old, dried stains. (opens Amazon)
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5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 5A few hours
Blot and cover the spill
Press the liquid up with a clean, dry white cloth or paper towels. Cover the spill with cornmeal, sand, sawdust or Fuller's Earth while the oil is still wet. Leave it for a few hours, then sweep or vacuum the absorbent up.
Tip. Use plenty of absorbent so the whole spill is covered.
Step 2 of 5
Wash with laundry detergent
Mix laundry detergent into hot tap water until you have a strong solution. Scrub the spot with a stiff nylon brush, working in small sections so the solution doesn't dry on the tile. Rinse well with clean water.
Careful. Use hot tap water, not boiling, because sudden temperature changes can crack glazed tile.
Step 3 of 5A few minutes
Try dishwasher detergent on the film
If a greasy film is still there, sprinkle dry dishwasher detergent over the wet floor. Let it stand for a few minutes, then scrub it with the brush and rinse with hot water.
Careful. Dishwasher detergent is alkaline and hard to rinse off tile, so rinse until no film is left.
Step 4 of 5
Rinse and dry the floor
Rinse the whole area with clean water so no detergent is left on the surface. Dry the tile with a clean towel, then check it in good light.
Step 5 of 5
Repeat on any spot left
If a dark or greasy patch shows once the tile is dry, repeat the laundry detergent wash on that spot only. If it still doesn't lift after a second pass, move on to the trisodium phosphate soak further down the page.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for oil on tile
Look for a professional-strength tile and grout cleaner made for grease buildup. Check the label to confirm it's safe for your tile's finish before you use it.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
e-cloth General Purpose Cloth
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on tile, 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. 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
The tile is clean when it dries without a dark, greasy or dull patch. If a shadow shows only when the floor is wet, it's usually still oil, so repeat the laundry detergent wash on that spot. Give the floor its full drying time before you judge the result.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your tile
Kitchen tiles
Kitchen floors pick up cooking oil and grease from the stove and the splatter zone. Cooking oils can age into yellow marks if they aren't fully removed, so don't stop at a faint shadow. The dishwasher detergent treatment handles the greasy film that builds up near the stove.
Don't use cooking oil or any other fat to loosen the stain, because it only adds more oil to the tile.
Slate tiles
Slate is a natural stone, so leave out vinegar and any acid-based cleaner. Pretest the laundry detergent wash on a hidden spot first, and stop if the color changes.
Give the absorbent its full few hours, because slate can hold oil in its surface. If the slate looks dull or pale after the wash, stop and have it checked before trying anything stronger.
Ceramic tiles
Glazed ceramic handles the steps as written, and it is the most forgiving of these surfaces. The exception is polished porcelain, which can't take acid-based cleaners or solvents, so keep those off it entirely.
If the glaze looks dull after the wash, rinse again with clean water to remove any film, then check it in good light before deciding anything else.
Terracotta tiles
Terracotta is unglazed and soaks up oil quickly, so the absorbent has to go on within minutes of the spill. Keep the blotting light and dry.
Pretest the cleaner on a hidden spot first, since clay can change color. If the first wash leaves a shadow, repeat the laundry detergent wash on that spot instead of reaching for a stronger product.
Saltillo tiles
Saltillo is an unglazed, porous clay tile, so oil soaks in fast and wiping makes it worse. Cover the spill with absorbent right away and leave it the full few hours before sweeping.
Expect the detergent wash to need more than one round, and rinse each round with clean water. Stop if the tile color lightens or the surface starts to flake, and have it looked at before going further.
Porous tiles
Any porous tile lets oil travel deeper the longer it sits, so speed matters more than strength. Start with the absorbent and gentle blotting before anything wet touches the spot.
Keep each wash short and rinse it off fully before the tile dries. If you don't know the tile type, treat it as porous until you can check.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old oil has had time to soak into the grout and the tile body, so it is harder to lift than a fresh spill. Expect more than one round, and repeat the steps before you move to anything stronger. Keep the spot cool while you work, since heat makes old oil set harder.
If the stain has dried into a hard, dark film, use the trisodium phosphate soak: mix 1 cup trisodium phosphate into 1 gallon of hot water, mop or pour it over the stain, and let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Scrub hard with a stiff brush or broom, rinse thoroughly, and repeat if needed. Don't let the solution dry on the tile, and don't extend the soak beyond 15-20 minutes.
If the stain still hasn't lifted after the soak, it is likely set into the grout or deep in the tile. A professional-strength tile and grout cleaner is designed for grease buildup and is a better next step than harsher home mixes. If it's still there after that, stop and have it checked rather than trying stronger products.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on oil on tile?
You'll see plenty of household fixes suggested for oil on tile, from vinegar to peroxide. Most of them are made for fabric or for a different stain, and some can damage natural stone, grout or polished porcelain. Most of these fixes are made for fabric or another stain, and some can damage natural stone, grout or polished porcelain.
Skip6
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't wipe the spill across the tile
Wiping spreads the oil over a wider area and drives it deeper into the surface. Blot it up and cover it with absorbent instead, and only sweep up the absorbent once it has soaked up the oil.
Don't use heat on the spot
A dryer, iron or hot air can set the oil into the tile, and set oil is much harder to lift. Keep heat away from the spot until it's gone.
Don't use cleaners with fluorine compounds
They damage ceramic, glass and stone, so check the label before you buy or use a product on the floor.
Don't scrub glass tile with steel wool or pads
Steel wool, scouring pads and sandpaper scratch the surface. Glass tile needs non-abrasive cleansers with plastic or nylon pads only.
Don't use no-rinse cleaners on tile floors
Any residue left on the floor reduces slip resistance, which is the last thing you want on an oily floor. Rinse every cleaner off with clean water before you walk on the tile.
Don't mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia
Chlorine bleach mixed with ammonia, vinegar, other acids or rubbing alcohol can give off toxic fumes. Rinse each product out with plain water before you move to the next one.
When to call a professional
If the stain is still there after the trisodium phosphate soak, or the tile is cracked, loose or chipped, stop and get a professional to look at it. A professional tile cleaner can test a small area before doing more, which is safer than trying stronger products on your own. Don't use any cleaner on a surface you can't identify.
Questions
What's the difference between oil and other stains on tile floors?
Oil is a fat or oil that doesn't dissolve in water, so plain water won't lift it. If a stain ignores water and dries as a dark or greasy patch, treat it as oil and start with the blotting and absorbent step. If you're not sure what it is, pretest the detergent wash on a hidden spot first.
Will oil stain the grout permanently?
It can if it sits, since grout is porous and takes up oil quickly. Blot and cover the spill right away, and if the grout stays dark after the washes, treat it as an old stain.
Does old oil on kitchen tiles need the set-in treatment?
Only if the washes leave a dark patch behind. Fresh spills usually lift with the absorbent and detergent steps, while old, dried spots need the trisodium phosphate soak.
How long should the absorbent stay on?
Leave it for a few hours so it can soak up the oil, then sweep or vacuum it up. Once it's cleared, check the spot in good light before you start the wash.
What about oil on carpet or a rug?
Carpet needs its own approach, because solvent can damage the latex that holds the backing together, so tile cleaning doesn't carry over. See the Carpet & Rugs guide before you start.
When is the floor safe to walk on again?
Wait until the tile is fully dry and check that no slick film is left after the final rinse. If it still feels slippery, rinse again with clean water before you walk on it.
Oil on other materials
Other stains on tile
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.