Lifting grease out of clothes requires breaking down the oils before they are exposed to high heat. The most effective method is covering the stain with baking soda to absorb excess oil, followed by scrubbing with a grease-cutting dish soap like Dawn.
Tips for removing grease and oil stains
White vinegar offers natural acidity that may help remove some grease stains from fabrics. Dab a small amount of white vinegar on the stain before treating with dish soap. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your garment of all vinegar before adding it to the washer.
Even after a grease stain has been dried and set, you can easily remove it by breaking down the dried oil. Cover the spot in heavy-duty dish soap, add baking soda, work it into a paste, and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing.
Homemade Solutions
HOW TO REMOVE OLD GREASE STAINS FROM CLOTHING. To remove old grease stains, pretreat with dish soap or stain remover, soak in warm water, wash in the warmest water safe for the fabric, and always line dry. Avoid machine drying, as leftover grease may be flammable and heat can set the stain.
Yes, Dawn dish soap is highly effective at getting grease out of clothes because its concentrated formula is designed specifically to break down and lift heavy grease and oil.
To clean years of baked-on grease, ditch harsh scrubbing and use a chemical degreaser (like sodium hydroxide-based oven cleaner) or a heavy-duty degreaser like LA's Totally Awesome. Apply the cleaner, cover the area with plastic wrap to lock in moisture, let it sit overnight, and easily wipe the dissolved grease away.
Toothpaste
Take a non-gel toothpaste and smear a small dab of it on the stain. After smearing the toothpaste, use a toothbrush to gently rub it into the fabric. Next, rinse the fabric in cold water and repeat the process as many times as required.
Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover Laundry Spray is a non-toxic, biodegradable formula. Its active cleaning agents include:
Yes, a mixture of Dawn dish soap and hydrogen peroxide makes an incredibly effective DIY stain remover, but because hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleaching agent, it can occasionally cause fading or discoloration on colored or dark fabrics.
Rub White Chalk Into the Stain
For grease marks caused by substances like salad dressing or cooking oils, simply rub a stick of white chalk into the stain to absorb the offending spot and then run it through the washer again.
Luckily, with OxiClean™ MaxForce™ you can get out even dried-in grease stains! Always test OxiClean™ MaxForce™ in an inconspicuous area prior to use. MaxForce™ can be used on all washable whites and colored fabrics.
Yes, you can often remove a stain after it has been through the dryer, but the heat permanently "sets" the stain by bonding it to the fabric fibers, making it significantly harder to remove than a fresh stain.
The best degreasers for clothes depend on the type of stain. For most everyday oil or grease spots, a specialty laundry pre-treater is highly effective. For severe, set-in, or industrial grease (such as motor oil or cooking fats), a heavy-duty household degreaser, laundry booster, or even dish soap works best.
Grease stains are rarely permanent. Even if a stain has dried or gone through the dryer, you can usually remove it by breaking down the lipids. Acting quickly is best, but "set-in" stains can still be lifted.
For most fabrics and surfaces, let standard 3% hydrogen peroxide sit on a stain for 5 to 10 minutes. This gives the bubbling oxidizing action enough time to break down stains without risking fabric damage or discoloration.
The Best Way to Remove Stains from Clothes
For store-bought dedicated stain removers, OxiClean MaxForce Laundry Stain Remover Spray is a great option, as well as Grandma's Secret Spot Remover Laundry Spray and Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray, which are ideal for on-the-go messes.
Oprah’s favorite spot remover is the Stingray Spot Remover. She named it her "favorite gift" of the year after a costume designer successfully used it to remove a melted chocolate stain from her white pants backstage at a Broadway show.
Yes, hairspray can remove certain stains—most notably ink and makeup—thanks to the alcohol solvents in the formula. However, it is less effective today than it used to be, and it can leave its own sticky or discolored residues if misused.
To remove grease stains from clothes using home remedies, use an absorbent powder (like baking soda or cornstarch) to draw out the oil, and follow up with a degreasing dish soap. This two-step method is highly effective for both fresh and set-in grease stains.
Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide make a powerful combo for breaking down grease and stains. For really stubborn spots, you can let the paste sit for 10–15 minutes before scrubbing with a sponge or non-abrasive brush.
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.
If you're cooking and have a grease spill, you can clean it up immediately before it becomes a problem later. One easy way is to sprinkle flour over the spill. Let the flour sit for a few minutes to absorb the grease and then you can easily wipe it up.
Glass is not well-suited for baking soda, due to its abrasive nature. In fact, you might accidentally scratch your mirrors or windows if you attempt to clean them with baking soda. If you're looking for an all-natural cleaner for these surfaces, vinegar is a better bet.
Professional cleaners work fast by following strict, systematic routines instead of just cleaning at random. Their speed comes down to three main advantages: eliminating organizing clutter, using a "top-to-bottom, left-to-right" flow to avoid double-working, and letting chemicals do the heavy scrubbing.