How to Get Grease Out of Clothes: Food Stains, Black Axel Grease, & More

If you have grease stains on your clothing, don't panic. There are a variety of common household products you can use to get unsightly grease stains out of your clothes so they look clean and new again.^{[1]XExpert SourceRani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning SpecialistExpert Interview. 12 April 2021.} Your favorite shirt will be back in the rotation in no time!

Removing Grease From Clothes with Detergent

Scrub dish detergent, shampoo, or additive-free soap into a lather on the stain.
Rinse the stain with warm water, then vinegar. Soak stubborn stains in a 1:2 vinegar water bath.
Wash the clothes alone with regular laundry detergent and air dry them. Repeat the steps until the stain comes out.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Dish Detergent or Shampoo or Bar Soap

Download Article

1
Cover the entire grease spot with liquid dish detergent. Grease-fighting detergents may be helpful but are not necessary. You can use shampoo in this manner, as well, it's designed for body oils, so should work effectively in this application. Alternatively, use bar soap, any hand or body bar soap will do (make sure it hasn't got any additives that may hinder its cleaning, i.e. one like Dove would not be suitable), or for very tough grease, look for bars labeled Laundry Soap. Dampen with water (or ammonia for extra grease removal), then rub the bar onto the stain until sufficient soap has transferred to foam up amply. You can also grate the bar soap and apply the resulting powder/pieces onto the stain after wetting.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If using colored detergent, be sure to dilute it or the detergent may stain the clothing.
- For stubborn stains, using an old toothbrush will help you attack the stain better than you'd be able to with your hand. Old foot brushes or nail brushes can also serve, as well as small scrub brushes available for cleaning.
- For butter and oil stains, you can use a mixture of mild dish soap and warm water.^{[3]XExpert SourceRani Gorgis
  Laundry & Cleaning SpecialistExpert Interview. 12 April 2021.} Add a few drops of soap to the water, let the garment soak for about five minutes, and then rub the stain against itself gently.^{[4]XExpert SourceSafir Ali
  Professional Dry CleanerExpert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
You should see it dissolve. Dish detergents and laundry bar soaps have special agents that fight grease, and so does shampoo.
Advertisement
Vinegar is a natural cleaning agent used in a wide variety of applications, however, it reduces the alkalinity of soaps or detergents, making them less effective, so do not use detergents or soaps along with any vinegar. If you wish, mix one part vinegar with two parts water and soak the article of clothing in the water and vinegar, then rinse out the vinegar and use the detergent/shampoo/soap method as above.^{[5]XResearch source}
4
Wash the clothing, alone, with laundry detergent. Follow washing instructions on the clothing label exactly.^{[6]XExpert SourceRani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning SpecialistExpert Interview. 12 April 2021.}
- When ready to dry, allow the clothing to air-dry. Drying in the extremely hot mechanical dryer may cause any lingering oil or grease to set into the clothing.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Spot Remover and Hot Water

Download Article

Spray the spot remover liberally onto the area and scrub with a toothbrush.^{[7]XResearch source}
Allow the spot remover to set while you start this step.
3
Remove the boiling water from the burner and carefully pour the water onto the stains from up high. A couple things to remember as you perform this step:
- Place your garment in a tub, washbasin, or other safe area. It's not recommended to place the garment on the floor and splatter extremely hot water all over it (and potentially your feet)
- Try to lift up the pot of water as high as possible. This method works for two reasons:
  - The water is really hot, helping to break the grease and/or oil bonds.
  - The water forcefully hits the grease/oil stain. The higher up the water is when you pour it over the stain, the more force it will generate as it hits the clothing.
- Be careful! You're using scalding hot water. Be sure to aim the water onto the garment. Try to avoid any splatter that might come back and hit you.
Turn the garment inside out and attack the stain with another round of spot remover/boiling water if the method doesn't work the first time.
5
Wash the clothing, alone, with laundry detergent. Follow washing instructions on clothing label exactly.
- When ready to dry, allow the clothing to air-dry. Drying in the extremely hot mechanical dryer may cause any lingering oil or grease to set into the clothing.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Baby Powder

Download Article

Try to get as much grease or oil away from the clothing as possible before you move on to the next step.
2
Cover grease or oil stain generously with baby powder. You can use generic baby powder if you like. If you don't have baby powder, try using these other absorbents:^{[8]XResearch source}
- Cornstarch
- Salt
Do this carefully, avoiding any spillage onto other parts of the clothing.
4
Work a small amount of hand dishwashing detergent and water into stain with your thumb. Once the detergent begins to foam up, take an old toothbrush and begin rubbing the stain using circular motions.
- Be sure to attack the stain from both sides of the fabric (inside the shirt and outside the shirt, for example).
5
Wash the clothing, alone, with laundry detergent. Follow the washing instructions on the clothing label exactly.
- When ready to dry, allow the clothing to air dry. Drying in the extremely hot mechanical dryer may cause any lingering oil or grease to set into the clothing.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

WD-40 or Lighter Fluid

Download Article

1
Instead of detergent, spray a little WD-40 or lighter fluid onto the clothing. WD-40 is effective in removing grease from some surfaces, as are some lighter fluids.
- Perform a spot test on an inconspicuous area of your clothing before attacking the stain with the WD-40 or lighter fluid. It's better to be safe than sorry.
4
Wash the clothing, alone, with laundry detergent. Follow the washing instructions on the clothing label exactly.
- When ready to dry, allow the clothing to air dry. Drying in the extremely hot mechanical dryer may cause any lingering oil or grease to set into the clothing.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question
How do I get butter stains out of clothes?
Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification.
Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Answer
Wipe away as much of the stain as possible with a paper towel. Use mild dish soap and warm water to wash the stain in the sink, and then place the item in the washer with regular laundry detergent on a warm water cycle.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
Yes No
Not Helpful 10 Helpful 6
Question
How do you get rid of thick oil stains?
Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification.
Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Answer
Apply baking soda to the stain and rub it in vigorously. Let it sit for half an hour and then brush it away. You can also spray a mixture of warm water and vinegar directly on the stain—just let it sit for a few minutes and then drop the item in the wash with warm water and regular laundry detergent.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
Yes No
Not Helpful 8 Helpful 12
Question
How do you get a grease stain out of jeans?
Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Rani Gorgis is a Laundry and Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Park Blvd Laundry & Dry Cleaners in San Diego, California. With several years of experience in the laundry and cleaning industry, Rani specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes. He holds a BS in Accounting and a CPA certification.
Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
Expert Answer
Mix some baking soda with a little bit of warm water. Using circular motions, brush the mixture into the stain with a small bristle brush until you see the stain subside. Then, wash the jeans in a warm water cycle with regular laundry detergent. You can also add vinegar to the wash cycle to make sure that the stain is completely removed. To finish things off, dry the jeans on a low heat dryer cycle.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
Yes No
Not Helpful 6 Helpful 13

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Baking soda and water can also help remove sunblock stains. Just make a paste, scrub it in, and wash the garment normally.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful1

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of How.com.vn readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on How.com.vn, please submit it in the field below.

Soak the spot in white spirit and wash normally. If it’s baked in, scrub it with white spirit and liquid soap using toothbrush, then leave overnight and wash it normally next day. It might take a few repetitions if it’s really tough.
Don't use excess soap or detergent; it may fade the product's color.

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!