by Tim Harry

Created on: November 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 12, 2010

Oil stains can be some of the most difficult of all clothing stains to remove, and what is worse they are normally very noticeable. There are many cleaning products that claim that they can get any piece of clothing clean, no matter what the form of dirt or grime, and yet they still struggle when it comes to cleaning oil stains.

Oil stains are a part of life, and cannot always be avoided; those individuals that work with food or engines will come into contact with oil daily, but there are ways in which oil stains can be removed.

When 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.

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