Oil and grease family: degrease, then hot wash
How to get motor oil and grease out
Petroleum oil, black with engine grime.
Do this first
Scrape
Fresh stain
- Scrape
- Cornstarch to soak up
- Solvent remover or heavy dish soap worked in
- Wash hot, separately
Dried or old
- Repeat solvent and dish soap
- Laundry bar overnight
- Fabric care
- Air dry. Heavily soaked work clothes: air out, never tumble dry warm.
- Time
- 30 min, repeat
- How to tell
- Look: black or brown, greasy; Feel: slick; Smell: oil
Where this fix comes from
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.