How To Clean Greasy Stains from Clothes?

Greasy clothes come from a variety of sources: food spills, cooking, or even household cleaning. It’s a tough stain to get out and it has the ability to ruin any fabric. Thankfully, there are some easy ways that you can keep your clothes looking their best without ruining them completely.

How to Remove Greasy Stains from Clothes?

One of the most challenging aspects a person faces when trying to save money is washing their clothes. People want to save time and money which can be achieved by following a few simple steps. The sooner you handle the grease stains the better the results are, it’s best to treat them before you wash. If you’ve got a few grease stains on your clothes, don’t worry — we’ve got a quick and easy way to get rid of them.

Start by checking for stains. If they are on the surface of your clothing, try removing them with some over-the-counter stain removal products. These will usually contain ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide or even enzymes to break up oil and dirt in stains. Spray or apply a bit to the stain and allow it to sit for a few minutes before blotting it up with a clean towel.

Pre-treat any large spots of grease on your clothes. A handy way to do this is by using disposable wipes that contain a pre-treatment solution or soap bar applied by hand to cleanse the garment of grease and grime.

5 Ways To Clean Greasy Clothes

Baking soda

Baking Soda is one of the most effective ways to wash greasy clothes. Its abrasive properties help to loosen the grease, allowing it to be washed away with other common household liquids. This last part is key because it means you can use your typical laundry detergent without fear of damage to your clothes.

Vinegar 

Another great way to clean grease from clothes is using a teaspoon of vinegar. Mix equal parts vinegar and water, tie a cloth bag to the end of a straw and slowly saturate the clothes. Allowing this to set for about ten minutes has been found to be quite effective at removing grease from clothing.

Washing machine 

To avoid any problems with greasy clothes, pre-treat them or wash them first before you put them into the washing machine. It should be noted that a lot of detergents can cause damage to your clothes if used incorrectly.

Water softener

If you have a water softener installed, then you can use it to wash clothes that have been heavily saturated with grease. Adjust the amount of softener based on the size of the clothing you wish to clean.

Tumble dryer or clothesline (if outdoor weather is dry enough for this)

After you’ve washed and dried the clothes, it’s time to lay them out. If they are bad enough, you may wish to use a blow dryer on the lowest setting to help flatten the fabric and even out any remaining stains.

Cleaning Greasy Clothes In Step-By-Step

Step 1: Wash Greasy Clothes With Baking Soda

Mix 1 cup of baking soda into ½ cup of warm water until the mixture begins to fizz. Add the baking soda and vinegar to the washing machine as your usual detergent. Place the soiled clothing inside and start a wash cycle.

Step 2: Scape All The Gunk Out Of The Stain With A Spoon or Fingers

For extra grease-fighting power, add ½ cup of mixture and scrape all the gunk out of the stain with a spoon or fingers (make sure that they’re clean first). Spoon the soft scrubbing solution onto grease stains and let sit for a few minutes to allow the baking soda to soften the greases and dissolve them from your clothing. 

Step 3: Dry Your Clothes

Rinse with cool water from your sink or with a spray attachment from your washing machine. Dry as normal. If you have a dryer, hang the item up to dry. If you don’t, air out the item outside in a well-ventilated area or on a clothesline.

Step 4: Repeat Until All Greasy Stains Are Removed

Repeat as necessary for as many greasy stains as you have. It’ll help you get your clothing stain-free and brighten them up. 

Step 5: Put Your Clothes Through A Dry Cycle

Make sure you take extra steps to ensure the item doesn’t hold onto as much grease as it could. This can be as simple as putting it through a dry cycle and making sure that any stain removers you use work. The longer you leave the spot, the harder it is to get out.

How To Deal With The Greases Are Too Difficult To Get Rid Of?

If the grease is too resistant to remove using the preceding approach, no worries, we’re going to go through six other different methods of washing grease without ruining said clothes in the process; including two natural home remedies that might work for you while still giving the dirt some time to lift before washing again.

Method 1: Use a clean towel

Take a white towel and use it to cover the greasy part of the shirt or blouse, and then place another towel on top of the grease. Press down with both hands over the grease for one minute (making sure no part of your hand touches the greasy fabric). Then, take off the top towel and rub any excess grease with your fingers. Repeat this process until you can no longer see any oil on both towels.

**Note: The towel that has the grease must be white or clear, if not you could end up with a green tinge to the fabric.

Method 2: More baking soda

Put 4 tablespoons of baking soda in one gallon of hot water. Soak the clothes for about 1 hour. If you are wearing the garment, take it off and put on something else to avoid spilling or dripping on it during the soak time. Wash as you normally would in cold water. This should help out quite a bit with removing sweat stains as well as other “embedded” odors.

Method 3: Not for clothes that are dark-colored 

The following method should only be used on a white or very light-colored shirt. Pre-treat the stains before washing. Use a small amount of dish detergent and add 1/4 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of salt to the pre-treater. The combination will be set for 1 hour. Then wash as usual in warm/hot water with a mild laundry detergent. Check the blouse occasionally while washing to see if any more residue needs to be washed out. If so, repeat the process. If it doesn’t need to be washed again, rinse well and hang the blouse up to dry.

Method 4: Keep using vinegar

Use 1 tablespoon of vinegar in 1 cup of hot water. Soak for at least an hour, but not longer than two hours. Shortening the soak time will allow some of the grease to come out on its own; while longer soaking will help remove more grease. When washing is complete, use one or two cups of white vinegar in place of detergent before washing again in hot water with detergent. This should remove the residue and the greasy odor.

Method 5: For the odors that are difficult to remove

Add 1 cup of baking soda and 1 gallon of warm water to a large container. Mix well, then add the garment and let it soak for 15 to 45 minutes. Then, wash as usual with detergent in hot water. This should remove any nasty odors and help get rid of some of the greases.

Method 6: Time to go to the Walmart

Wash in cold water using a laundry detergent that contains enzymes or oxygen bleach (such as Tide with Bleach Alternative or Purex). Follow with a hot-water wash cycle using non-chlorine bleach. If you wish, you can use a softener or dryer sheets along with the cold wash cycle. Be sure to read the care label of your garments for any special washing instructions.

Benefits Of Washing Grease-Stained Clothes

Having grease stains on your garments is a sign of one thing: that you were too messy. While you cannot completely get rid of the stench, there are ways to at least remove some of the harmful odors. The more these crud stain your clothing, the more unhappy you’ll be, especially when that water on your clothes is for bathing or drinking.

The best thing that you can do with these greasy stains is to remove any remaining stench using one of the steps listed above. These will do wonders for getting rid of body odor and food smells; while also making your clothes fresher and brighter than what they use to be before.

Aside from getting rid of the stench, washing the grease out helps the dye to not fade away by re-staining your clothes. This will make sure that your clothing lasts longer and can still be used for other occasions.

With these tips, you should be able to get rid of any stains on your garments; while keeping them looking like new.

Conclusion

With the information we’ve provided you, you should now be able to remove any stains on your garments. We hope this article will help you achieve that, and as always, if you have questions or comments feel free to put them below. We’ll do our best to answer them as soon as possible. Until next time!

FAQ

This article will cover the basics of how to wash greasy clothes, as well as some questions that have been asked frequently.

What is greasy dirt?

Greasy dirt is when soil or stain has oil, grease, or tar on it. This type of soil is common in carpentry professions, such as construction workers and painters.

However, when washing clothes that have been contaminated with grease, it may be necessary to use detergents and additives in order to get them clean. There are some detergents, such as laundry pre-treatment powders and liquids which contain enzymes that help remove this type of soil from your clothing. Enzymes can be purchased at most department stores in the laundry section near the detergents.

How do I get the grease out of my clothes?

If you have a lot of oil-based soils on your clothing, such as dark stains and/or if the dirt is stain resistant, rough wash them in hot water. This will help loosen up the soil and make it easier to remove. You may want to add a pre-treatment detergent with enzymes to help lift out that tough soil. It is also a good idea to use a regular detergent when cleaning greasy clothes if they are not overly soiled. Make sure you select a detergent that is made specifically for greasy or oily soils. A regular detergent which does not have enzymes might leave some grease behind in the fabric.

When should I wash my greasy clothes?

If your clothes are new, you can machine launder them. However, if they have been previously used, you may want to soak them in warm soapy water for 15-30 minutes before washing. This will help loosen up the soil and make it easier to remove.

What detergent do I use?

The main detergent you should use is Calgon. This type of detergent will not bleach out the colors of your clothes, and it is safe for all fabrics. You can use it with or without enzymes, if necessary. If you are using enzymes, then select a brand that does not contain bleach in its formula.

How should I wash my greasy clothes?

When washing greasy clothes, it is best to wash them in hot water with a mild household soap. There are some pre-treatments made specifically for grease soils which can be used in cold water to help loosen the dirt so eradication may be easier.

Why don’t I just go to a washing place?

Because it is expensive and you have to wait for your clothes. And if you don’t have a lot of time, you can wash them yourself.

What i need to do if my white clothes are really dirty?

Just run an extra cycle to get them clean.

What about the smell of the wash/detergent? What should I do about that?

Wash your clothes outside or in a garage.

Something’s wrong with my shirt/pants/etc, what should I do?

Look at the label on your clothing for instructions on what to do to get it out.

How do I get the grease out of delicate fabrics?

If you have a lot of oil on your garments, you should select the gentle cycle for all garments that are not made of leather or suede. When cleaning clothing that has light soil or is lightly stained with oil, use the regular washing cycle with warm water and mild detergent if necessary.