Can oil-based stains be removed?

Author: Jerod Tillman  |  Last update: Sunday, September 7, 2025

Yes, there are many common household items that work great when dealing with oil stains on clothing. Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent, clear dish soaps, white vinegar, and warm water can all work well at breaking down and lifting even the most stubborn oil stains.

What removes oil-based stains?

However, if you can still see the oil-based stain on the surface, you'll need to sand the rest of it away. As long as you have allowed the area 24 hours to dry, you can begin sanding with a medium-grit sandpaper or sanding block, or you can use an orbital sander.

Does oil stain permanently?

Oil splatter or stains may not leave much of a mark at first, and you may feel tempted to just deal with it later. But the danger with cooking oil stains is that they can darken the longer you leave them untreated and become permanent if not cared for in time.

How do you remove an oil stain that has set?

Any grease or oil stain can be removed with a good rinse, rubbing with dish soap, and rinsing it off with cold water. If the stain is particularly bad, use a laundry detergent with enzymes designed for grease and oil, and wash on a hot cycle.

What is the best stain remover for oily stains?

For our best overall pick, we love Shout's Advanced Grease Busting Foam, which is simple to use and formulated to remove tricky oil and grease stains. We were impressed that it can pretty much tackle just about any stain you throw at it.

Water Based and Oil Based Stains - The Facts

Does Dawn work as a stain remover?

Dish soap can be applied to stains before you run the wash, to better prevent them from settling into the fabric. Handwashing small loads: Dawn® Platinum can help remove stubborn oil and food stains, making it an ideal option for handwashing small loads of laundry.

Will Tide Stick remove oil stains?

THE BEST STAIN REMOVERS

For oil-based stains and protein stains you'll likely need something more serious, but the Tide Pen is very effective on tannin-based stains (except ink stains—you'll need something more serious for that as well) and food-related stains of all kinds.

Does WD-40 remove oil stains from clothes?

For getting old oil stains out of clothes that have been soiled for a long time, try this heavy-duty method using WD40. This lubricant and rust penetrant has many uses around the house and in the car. If you don't have WD40 at home, it can easily be found at any hardware store.

Are old oil stains removable?

Can old oil stains be removed? Old oil stains can be very stubborn, but it is possible to remove them. If a garment has been washed and dried and the oil stain still remains, using an enzyme-based cleaner to pretreat the stain rather than dish soap may increase the chance of being able to remove it.

How to get a set stain out?

How to Get Old Stains Out of Clothes
  1. Mix. Fill scoop with OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover powder to line 4 per 1 gallon of water. Wait until the powder fully dissolves in the solution.
  2. Soak. Soak clothes for 1-6 hours, depending on the severity of the stain. ...
  3. Wash. Wash as normal with your regular detergent.

How do you clean up after oil based stains?

Blot the affected area with turpentine.

Test a small, inconspicuous area of the fabric to ensure that it won't be damaged. If you don't want to use turpentine to blot the stain, you can use minerals spirits. You may need to blot the stain with turpentine several times to remove all of the paint.

What is the best solvent for oil-based stain?

Mineral spirits and paint thinner are indispensable solvents for thinning oil-based paint, stains, and varnishes, as well as for cleaning up paint equipment and oily materials.

Is oil stain easy to remove?

You can remove oil stains from clothes using vinegar. Simply soak your garments in a mix of equal parts vinegar and equal parts warm water, then gently scrub the fabric against each other to remove as much of the oil stain as you can. Finally, launder the clothes as usual.

How long do oil-based stains last?

Unopened cans of deck stain – just like regular paint – have a shelf-life of up to 5 or 6 years before they start to deteriorate.

Is there a way to remove set in oil stains?

Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent, clear dish soaps, white vinegar, and warm water can all work well at breaking down and lifting even the most stubborn oil stains.

What is the best stain remover for oil stains on clothes?

For moderate grease stains, we got the best results when we pretreated an item with a liquid laundry detergent—such as our pick, Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent. Liquid detergent is best for oil stains; it contains different surfactants than powder detergent, and it easily penetrates oil stains.

How to remove old oil stains from clothes after drying?

What is the best way to get dried oil stains out of clothes? Old oil stains are best treated with WD-40 and baking soda. The solvents in WD-40 break down oils, loosening them from the fabric. Baking soda acts like a sponge, absorbing the oil and WD-40.

Does hydrogen peroxide remove oil stains?

A homemade paste of equal parts baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can effectively lift oil stains from fabric.

When should you not use OxiClean?

Use OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover powder for versatile applications. Can I use OxiClean™ Max Force™ Laundry Stain Remover Spray on wool or silk items? OxiClean™ MaxForce™ is not designed to be used on dry clean only fabrics and should not be used on wool or silk items.

Why is Blue Dawn different?

It's the fact that the Platinum product is concentrated, and delivers more of the key grease-fighting, colorless ingredients called “surfactants."

What is a powerful homemade stain remover?

DIY Stain remover recipe ➡️One part Dawn dish-washing liquid soap (approx 1 tablespoon) ➡️Two parts hydrogen peroxide (approx 2 tablespoons) ➡️One part baking soda (approx 1 tablespoon) ➡️ Let sit for about an hour the launder like normal - it's ok to let sit for longer or shorter.

Is hot or cold water better for stains?

Many food or beverage stains, such as chocolate, jam, baby food, beer, and dairy are more easily removed with cold water soaks and washes. Cold water is also recommended for urine and blood stains. Other stains, especially oily or greasy ones, do better in warm or hot water.

Previous article
How can I tell what weeds I have?
Next article
Where is the vapor barrier on a roof?