Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

Please help. My son has a brand new all white cotton hoodie and it has what looks like car grease stains on it. Since I wash everything inside out, I didn't realise that it was stained until it had been laundered and dried. Is it too late to do anything? If there is a chance of salvaging it, please don't give me brand names as more than likely, I won't know what you are talking about since I don't live in the U.S.

At the moment it is soaking in a mild solution of bleach, but nothing seems to be happening, and the stains are still there.

Thank you in advance.

By cettina from Malta, Europe

Answers:

Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

My daughter said that she tried Resolve Spray on a grease stain that had been washed and dried and it took the grease out. I have not tried it, but you can get it at grocery stores. I also use Awesome Spray from the Dollar Store on many items as it works a lot of times when nothing else will. (01/24/2011)

By Rev Dera Adair

Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

My husband works a lot with oil and grease and sometimes I don't catch the stains before I dry. I have found that you have to put the oil back in the stain to get the stain out. Put a little amount of grease (cooking oil or I use WD40 if you have it) let it sit for about an hour.

Then rub dishwashing liquid into it. I use Dawn, but any degreaser that you use to wash dishes will work. Use a lot and make sure it gets all around the stain and completely through the stain. Let it sit for an hour then wash in cold water. The stain will be gone! (01/24/2011)

By michele

Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

I don't think bleach will do anything for this. You must contend with the grease. Try to find out from your son what these stains were. If it is indeed car grease, products that mechanics use for hand cleaning may be helpful. Since you say the product names are of no use to you, I won't suggest any. Other posters have suggested a product called Goo-gone, which comes in a small bottle and useful for taking sticky residue such as the goo from labels stuck on things.

We these products at our hardware stores or in the laundry aisles of the grocery stores. Go see what is there and read labels. I have had good luck with grease stains using a citrus/orange liquid. Have a look for that type of thing. Or you could try WD40, which I would bet is a world wide brand, you get it in hardware or automotive stores. It is an automotive product. Mechanics use it to remove rust for stuck on bolts. (01/25/2011)

By Louise B.

Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

I use Goop hand cleaner on stains of any kind. It's the hand cleaner for mechanics, you can get it just about anywhere. It has never harmed any clothing. You put it on grease, stains, anything, it works every time.

Jenny (01/25/2011)

By jenny

Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

Thanks so much for all your help. I don't use a dryer, everything is line dried, indoors or outdoors depending on the weather, so at least it didn't have any heat from a dryer to set in the stain. WD-40 is easily found here and I will try it plus use the dishwashing liquid as well to see how it works. Once again, thriftyfun members came through with excellent suggestions! (01/25/2011)

By cettina

Removing Grease Stains from Clothing

Just to let all you helpful people know, I tried WD-40 then used Fairy washing up liquid (which is almost the same as your Dawn detergent), then washed and line dried the hoodie as usual, and it worked! Thank you all so much for helping me to rescue the hoodie! (01/26/2011)

By cettina