How to get grease and oil out of clothes

First cover the stain with baking soda to absorb grease/oil; it may come out after pretreating and washing, but a second treatment may be necessary.

  1. Read the care label, and do not use any method it prohibits.
  2. Pretest dish soap and laundry or enzyme detergent on an inconspicuous area for colorfastness.
  3. Lay the stained clothing on a flat surface, cover the stain with baking soda, and let it sit for 1 hour.
  4. Rinse the baking soda away completely with cool water.
  5. Apply several drops of dish soap to the stained area, then blot it into the stain with a clean cloth or a soft brush dampened with cool water.
  6. Launder with laundry or enzyme detergent according to the care label.
  7. Air dry, then inspect the stain before repeating if necessary.
Don't do this
Air dry and repeat the baking soda, dish soap, and laundering steps if necessary. If it still remains, use a commercial product made for this, used per its label.
Grounded in: anokacountymn.gov, site.extension.uga.edu. Every step follows sentences verified verbatim on those pages.
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