Oil—in whichever form—doesn’t just have positive sides. It is also extremely stubborn to remove when it lands on the floor or your clothes. Here we explain how to get out oil stains of all kinds.
Whether in the kitchen or the garage, oil has the annoying habit of splashing onto clothing or the floor in addition to where you want it to be. If you want to prevent stains from reminding you of your mishap, speed is your friend. As long as the oil has not yet made itself too comfortable on your carpet or clothing, you can remove it relatively easily.
Once the stain gets deep into your favorite sweater or comfy jeans, it's going to be tough to remove—this is true of any stain, whether it’s coffee, oil or tomato sauce. You'll have the best chance if you follow the steps below:
- Blot
First, carefully blot the stain. This way you already remove a part of it. Use either a cloth or paper towels for dabbing. Be careful of using old newspapers because the ink can stain—making things worse! - Use stain remover
Using a stain remover formulated for grease is ideal. If the garment is washable, you can rub the stain with a wet bar of our Purex® Fels-Naptha® laundry bar and let it sit for a few minutes. Laundry detergent can also work in a pinch. If you are looking to up your laundry game, we have other helpful tips here. - Wash in the washing machine
Now put the garment in the washing machine and wash it according to the instructions on the label with a stain removing laundry detergent like Persil® ProClean® OXI Power laundry detergent. - Check and repeat if necessary
You should now have removed the oil stain. However, if the stain proves to be particularly stubborn, just repeat the process again.
Oil spills at home are annoying. If the sofa or carpet is dirty anyway, a special cleaner for carpets and upholstery can help. Follow the instructions on the packaging and you should have your sofa or carpet looking as good as new!
In this case, it is also important to be as quick as possible and remove the oil stains ASAP. First of all, get rid of any excess liquid. For small stains, paper towels or a handkerchief will work fine. For larger stains, it‘s best to bring out the big guns and generously cover the area with cat litter or sawdust, for example. After waiting a short time, sweep up the stain.