How to Remove Set-In Grease Stains from Clothes

The Hidden Enemy: Dried-In Oil Stains

We've all been there: you pull your favorite shirt out of the dryer only to notice a dark, round spot of grease from dinner. Because the heat of the dryer "sets" the oil into the fabric fibers, standard washing won't budge it anymore. Fortunately, you don't have to throw the garment away. With a few basic household items, you can reactivate and lift the oil, restoring your clothing to its former glory.

What You Will Need

• Dish soap: Blue Dawn works best, but any grease-cutting dish soap will do.
• WD-40 or rubbing alcohol: This reactivates the set-in oil.
• Baking soda: To absorb the lifted grease.
• An old toothbrush: For gentle scrubbing.
• A piece of cardboard: To protect the rest of the garment.

Step-by-Step Removal Guide

Step 1: Prep the garment. Place the piece of cardboard inside the clothing item directly underneath the stain. This prevents the grease and cleaning agents from transferring to the back of the garment.

Step 2: Reactivate the stain. Spray a small amount of WD-40 onto a cotton swab and dab it directly onto the grease stain. Alternatively, you can use rubbing alcohol. This step is crucial because it breaks down the dried, set-in oil, bringing it back to a liquid state.

Step 3: Apply baking soda. Sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over the wet stain. Use your old toothbrush to scrub the baking soda into the fabric. The baking soda will clump up as it absorbs the reactivated grease. Brush away the clumps and repeat if the stain was particularly large.

Step 4: Add dish soap. Pour a few drops of grease-cutting dish soap directly over the remaining baking soda. Use the toothbrush to scrub the mixture into a paste. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes to penetrate the fibers completely.

Step 5: Wash and air dry. Toss the garment into the washing machine on the hottest cycle recommended by the fabric's care label. Once the cycle is finished, do not put it in the dryer. Let it air dry first so you can inspect the area. If any trace of the stain remains, repeat the process. Once it is completely gone, you can safely dry it normally.