Various techniques can be used to remove grease from washable clothing, including degreasers, dish detergent, and even baby powder or shampoo. It’s important to test solutions on an inconspicuous area first and wash greasy clothes separately to avoid spreading the stain. Dry cleaning may be necessary for delicate fibers.
There are several techniques that can be used to remove grease from clothing, as long as the clothing is washable and not made of delicate fibers. If the fabric needs to be dry-cleaned, your dry cleaner can remove the grease stains; explain the situation when you bring the clothes and ask for suggestions. Delicate fibers can sometimes be treated for fat, although success is not guaranteed. In all cases, test a degreasing solution on an area of the garment that will not be seen to check color fastness, as some cleaners can bleach or stain clothing.
One of the most effective ways to remove grease from clothing is to use a degreaser that has been specifically designed for this purpose. The laundry section of your market may contain some degreasers, most of which will need to be left overnight to pre-treat the area before washing clothes. You can also check out the auto parts aisle, as several companies make industrial degreasers for mechanics and others who work with a lot of oil and grease, and many of these products are suitable for clothing. If you use an automatic degreaser to remove grease from clothing, be sure to try it first!
You can also use dish detergent to remove grease from clothing. Look for a brand that is designed to cut fat, like Dawn. Lightly rub the detergent into the grease stain to pre-treat it, or simply dab the clothes with a few drops of dish detergent. Many massage therapists use dish detergent on their sheets to get rid of oil stains, as do restaurant workers and mechanics.
There are also some more obscure tricks, which this wiseGEEK author hasn’t tried personally. Baby powder is supposed to be effective if left on overnight, as are products like Goo-Gone, Goof Off, and Lestoil. Some people swear by Cheese Whiz, while others claim that a can of Coke or Pepsi in the wash can remove greasy stains. The shampoo is also known to remove grease from clothes, especially shampoos designed for oily hair.
In all cases, you should wash greasy clothing separately from other clothing to avoid spreading the stain. This is also important when you have used something to pre-treat your clothes, as the pre-treatment can have a strange smell; Many people wash greasy clothes once with the pretreatment and again on a regular cycle to remove the odor. You should also check the clothing to see if the grease stain has been removed before running it through the dryer, as the dryer can set the stain, making it impossible to remove.
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