Even though pizza is your favorite Friday night dinner, it's often the culprit behind life's worst grease stains. "Grease is one of the most common stains I get asked about and it can be one of the toughest to remove, especially from synthetic fabrics, like polyester," Carolyn Forte, Director of the Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, says. Show
Shout Advanced Grease-Busting Foam worked the best on grease in our Cleaning Lab tests, but if you're at work or nowhere near a laundry room, there are a couple of easy remedies that will help get out fresh grease stains. Forte's go-to for removing grease stains on the go: dish soap. It's made to cut grease on your plates, so it can also help with your clothes. The condiments on your table can work magic, too. A sprinkle of salt or artificial sweetener helps prevent an oil stain from setting into the fabric and makes it easier to lift when you're doing laundry later on. More From Good Housekeeping How to Get Grease Stains Out of Washable ClothesFollow these six simple steps for getting out new and old grease stains, no matter where you are (or what oily food you spilled). MaterialsStep-by-step Instructions
That's it! Consider your work shirt officially saved. Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl. Home Care & Cleaning Lab Executive Director Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York. To remove fresh grease stains from clothes, cover the stains with baby powder, cornstarch, or talcum powder and let them sit for 15-20 minutes. Then, machine wash the clothes with cold water and the stains should be gone! If the grease stains have already set in, spray them with hairspray and let them sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, machine wash the clothes on a regular cycle. For more ways to remove grease stains, like using shampoo, cola, or rubbing alcohol, scroll down! Did this summary help you?YesNo Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 607,054 times. A splash of grease from the frying pan or a greasy stain on your work clothes needn’t be a laundry nightmare. Getting grease out can often be much simpler than dealing with other types of stains as oily substances can be effectively broken down by most soap-based products, such as washing detergent. Read on to find out how to remove grease from clothes. Removing grease stains from clothes: 3 top tips1. Act fast You stand the best chance of getting a grease stain out if you get to it quickly. Don’t give it time to set in the material. Dealing with the stain ASAP is key. 2. Avoid water Don’t try to apply water to grease (unless you’re mixing it with some kind of detergent). Grease doesn’t mix well with H2O and you actually run the risk of making the stain worse. 3. Be fabric savvy Always check the label on the garment – those instructions trump all others. If the item is dry clean you’ll be best off taking it to a professional cleaner. It’s also not a good idea to use the detergents mentioned below on delicate or speciality fabrics, such as silk, suede or velvet. What removes grease from clothing?Household products such as laundry detergent or washing-up liquid are your go-to choices, as grease is relatively easily broken down by soap-based products. Depending on what you have handy in your home, pick from one of our methods below and learn how to remove grease from clothes for good. You will need:
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The Poll When buying dishwasher tablets, which of these is most important to you? No harsh chemicals 0% Recyclable packaging 0% Removes greasy foods 0% Doesn’t leave residues 0% No pre-rinsing required 0% Value for money 0% 0 Votes How to get grease out of clothes using dishwashing detergentAlthough it’s usually best to use a product designed for cleaning clothes, liquid dishwashing detergent can also be a great way of removing grease stains from clothes. Again, all you’ll need is some tissue or dry paper towel, washing up liquid and a piece of cardboard.
How to remove grease stains from clothes using shampooShampoo is another soap-based product like laundry detergent that is also great at tackling grease.
If you’ve spilt cooking oil on your clothes, check out our guide: How to get cooking oil out of clothing. 3 ways to remove old grease stains from clothesIf you miss a grease stain and it goes through the wash and tumble dryer it will be more tricky to remove but not impossible. 1. The washing-up liquid method
2. The aloe vera methodThe amino acids in aloe vera are great at breaking up grease. Try to use 100 per cent aloe vera as it works the best.
3. The hairspray methodIt might sound a little ridiculous but hairspray is great at working on dried grease stains (it’s also pretty good at getting pen marks out of fabrics too). Grab a piece of cardboard and a can of hairspray, and follow these steps:
How to remove grease stains from delicatesYou’ll want to take extra care with fabrics such as silk, satin and dry-clean only garments. You’ll need some tissue or dry paper towel and some cornflour or baby powder. A clean toothbrush can come in handy as well.
We have more guidance here on how to remove oil stains from clothes, including general tips and ways to remove oil from delicate garments. How to remove grease stains with a stain removerYou can also opt to use a commercial stain remover – just make sure to follow the instructions carefully. It’s always best to test any product on an inconspicuous spot on your garment to ensure it doesn't affect the material (under a collar or hem, for example). And remember, getting to the stain as quickly as possible is the best way to ensure it comes out. How do you get dried oil stains out of clothes?It’s a bit more difficult, but you can remove already-dry oil stains from your clothing using the same technique you would with grease. You can use washing up liquid, aloe vera or even hairspray – just be sure to follow the instructions we’ve outlined above for best results. Can you get a grease stain out of clothes after drying?"Don't worry–there are methods to remove old grease stains from clothes, even after they dry," Buurstra says. Here's what she suggests: Scrape and blot liquid dish soap into the stain and let sit for 10 minutes. Soak in warm or hot water for at least 30 minutes.
Are grease stains on clothes permanent?Are oil stains permanent? They can be. The trick is to blot them quickly and treat them quickly. The longer you wait, the more likely they are to be permanent.
Can grease stains ever come out of clothing after its been washed?Can you remove oil stains from clothes after they have been laundered? Yes, you should be able to. Soak the item of clothing in warm water, then apply a few drops of dish soap on the stain. Hold the material around the stain and start rubbing the sides against each other to work up a lather.
What home remedy takes grease out of clothes?For the best results, rub a clear liquid soap/shampoo into the fabric vigorously on both sides (a toothbrush works well) and let it sit for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour before rinsing thoroughly with cool water and air drying. Depending on how deeply set the stain is, you may need to repeat the process.
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