Oil stains on clothing are highly noticeable and they often seem to be impossible to shift. Many firms advertise the fact that their cleaning products will clean all forms of dirt, and yet most struggle when it comes to cleaning oil stains from clothing. Oil stains are a part of life, and cannot be avoided; those that work with food or engines will come into oil daily but there are ways in which oil stains can be removed.

In dealing with oil stains it is important that action is taken as soon as oil is spilt onto any clothing. This though doesn't mean throwing the clothes straight into the washing machine and hot wash; this is likely to only make the stain more noticeable and harder to shift. Some preparation is first required.

Ideally there will be some absorbent material to hand, normally the likes of cornstarch or talcum powder. Liberally applied, the powder should be allowed to lay on the stain for several hours. The majority of the oil should be absorbed and when the powder is brushed away, so will be the oil. If there is no talcum powder or similar to hand then it is best to try blotting the oil stain with a paper towel. Make sure though that the action is a blotting one, rather than a rubbing motion as rubbing could make the oil stain harder to remove.

Sometimes the application of cornstarch or talcum powder is enough to remove the worst of the oil stain from clothes, with the rest being removed by the washing machine, often though further work is required especially on older oil stains.

The most appropriate method to remove more stubborn oil stains from clothes is to purchase a dry cleaning solvent. The item of clothing should then be placed oil stain down onto some paper towels. The reverse side of the stain should then be blotted with the solvent. The blotting motion will allow the stain to move from the fabric onto the paper towel. The oil stained clothes can then be washed with a normal washing product on a hot wash.

Some clothes can be soaked in a water and bleach mixture for added pre-stain treatment.

In general terms after cleaning the clothes with the oil stain on it is best to allow the item to air dry. If though a tumble dryer is to be used, then it is essential to ensure that all traces of the oil stain are gone, otherwise once dried the oil stain may be impossible to remove.

There are other possible solutions with people making use of washing powder applied directly to the oil stain. There are other people who swear by home based remedies, remedies that include baking soda, lemon juice, and white wine vinegar. Some success can be achieved with all but does depend on the top of fabric, the type of oil, and the length of time that the oil stain has been in place.

Speed is everything when trying to remove oil stains from clothes, the quicker the treatment the better the results.

Learn more about this author, Tim Harry.
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