Oil and grease family: degrease, then hot wash
How to get baby oil and lotion out
Mineral oil and creams soak into cotton and leave a dark, see-through patch.
Do this first
Blot
Fresh stain
- Blot
- Cover with cornstarch for 15 minutes and brush off
- Work in dish soap
- Wash in the hottest water allowed
Dried or old
- Dish soap overnight, hot wash, air dry, check
- Fabric care
- Air dry until it's gone.
- Time
- 15 min
- How to tell
- Look: darker, slightly translucent; Feel: soft; Smell: baby lotion
Where this fix comes from
- University of Illinois Extension, Stain Solutions
- Household folk practice, checked against the guides above
We check every fix against these published guides. We do not run a test lab of our own.
Before you start
- Test on a hidden seam first.
- Never mix cleaners.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.