How to Remove Black Grease from Clothes

February 9, 2022

Mechanic is rubbing off the grease with clothes.

If you are changing your car’s oil or doing DIY maintenance on your car, black grease stains may appear on your clothing. One of the most efficient ways of removing car grease from your clothes is to wash them as soon as you notice it on your clothes. It will prevent the grease from settling into your favorite shirt or trousers or from becoming difficult to remove.

You should be prepared to spend some time removing car grease from your work clothes if you cannot completely remove it right away. Make use of a basic household cleaning such as dish soap, baking soda, or cornstarch, as well as time and effort, to remove stains from your clothing.

In this article, we will discuss various methods for removing grease stains quickly and effectively without spending money on a harsh stain remover.

Methods to Get Grease Stains Out of Clothes

Removing Grease Using Baking Soda

Baking soda, which can be found in almost any kitchen, is good at removing grease stains. To remove stains from your clothing, lay them flat on a table and sprinkle baking soda on the stains. Allow the baking soda to sit on the grease for around 10 minutes. Then check to see if the color changes while waiting for the baking soda to dissolve the stains. After scraping off the baking soda, wash your clothes with hot water to remove the residue.

If the stain stays, use a little dishwashing liquid before adding more baking soda. For best results, let the stain removal solution sit on the cloth for 10 minutes before cleaning with a toothbrush. Keep in mind that it should be washed in hot water!

Removing Grease from Fabric with Shampoo, Bar Soap, or Dish Detergent

Apply a small amount of liquid dish detergent or shampoo to the whole greasy area of your clothes. The use of grease-fighting detergents may be beneficial, but they are not required. Though shampoo is intended for body oils, especially in our hair, thus it will likely work well for this usage. Additionally, you can use regular bar soap such as body or hand soap without any additives. For tougher grease, use soap specifically marketed as laundry soap.  

Let it soak in hot water for additional grease removal, then brush the stain until enough soap has absorbed to make a big foam. Alternatively, you may shred the bar soap and use the resultant powder or shards to the stain after it has been soaked. Are you using a colored detergent? Remember to dilute it, or else you may end up with stains on your clothes.

The use of an old toothbrush can assist you in eliminating stubborn stains more effectively than you would be able to do with your hand. Alternatively, you may use the regular nail brushes or foot brushes found in many households, as well as smaller scrub brushes used for general cleaning.

Water or ammonia may be used to dampen the stain, which will give it more grease-fighting abilities. Use a cleaning agent until it starts to foam, rubbing in either with bar soaps, dish detergents, or shampoos. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the foam into the stains until it begins to disintegrate.

After you’ve successfully removed the stain, wash in warm water, then rinse it with vinegar. Do not combine vinegar with other cleaning agents since the vinegar reduces its effectiveness. For mildew issues, vinegar can be used to remove mildew from garments and eliminate the stench that has accrued from them.

It is essential to follow the directions on the care label while washing clothes and dry them out. Then, if the stain remains, repeat previous steps and continue to follow the steps above until all traces of the stain have been removed.

Removing Grease Out of Clothes with Stain Remover

To remove a stained t-shirt, you should go for spot stain remover, which will eliminate various stains, including car grease, motor oil, and chocolates. You may start by spraying your greasy areas with spot remover until they’re saturated with the solution. Using an old toothbrush, scrub the stain remover into the grease.

Make sure the stain remover is seeping into the stain, and prepare a kettle of boiling water. Then, pour the water as hot as you can get over the stain. As a measure of caution, you should put the garment and other things in a sink to protect yourself from being injured by hot water. Hot water helps remove the stain and beats the stain to make it completely dissolve. If the stain is still visible after washing, repeat the washing procedure.

Hot water may shrink your clothes when attempting to remove stains, but on the upside, hot water can eliminate the stains. What causes clothing to shrink? Your clothing looks better and stays cleaner, but these benefits are somewhat offset by side effects such as having garments get tightened by the hot water.

Removing Car Grease Out of Clothing with WD-40

Grease may be removed from clothes by using WD-40, a solvent designed to break down stubborn stains. With this stain removal, you may get rid of both new and old stains effectively.

When your clothes have greasy stains, place some paper towels beneath the spot and spray a large amount of WD-40 on the stain. Allow approximately 10 to 20 minutes for the solution to thoroughly soak the stain. Add some dishwashing liquid to the WD-40-saturated grease stains and rub it with your fingers. Then use a cleaning cloth to wipe away the grease stain. Use hot water to rinse your clothes, and then follow the washing instructions specified on the label.

When washing out dark colors, or whites, use your usual laundry detergent with ¼ cup of dish soap for more thorough cleaning. Dawn is a remarkable degreasing soap that’s perfect for washing your garments since it washes the grease away. If grease remains after the fabric have been washed, repeat the process until the cloth is clean and free of grease.

After you’ve cleaned the clothes, just set them out to dry. Grease stains are difficult to remove once the clothes have been dry. Make sure the stain is completely gone before getting clothes dry cleaned.

Unwanted Grease Wipes Away with a Toothbrush

If the grease stains are tough to remove, you may scrape the greasy spots with an old toothbrush. Even a simple scrub brush can suffice in a pinch. You can find a better option when you run out of toothbrushes. Work up a good lather with your soap or shampoo and scrub in an up-and-down motion with your toothbrush. After this, you can throw them in the washing machine.

Use Hot Water to Wash the Clothes

After soaking the filthy clothes, it’s time to clean it! Washing in hot water can help to remove stains more effectively. Make sure you double-check the washing instructions on your clothes before starting these procedures, as you will want to ensure your clothes don’t shrink or ruin in the washing machine. Greasy garments should be cleaned separately from the rest of your laundry.

Additional Tips:

  • Some individuals consider Coca-Cola as stain removal, and it is a great way to get rid of grease stains. The soda will undoubtedly leave its residue, but it will wash away together with stains.
  • One should always check the garment’s label to ensure the proper washing direction, even if it is safe for all fabric types.
  • When dealing with delicate fabrics such as silk or wool, it is advisable to take it to a cleaning service if the grease stain is visible.
  • A shop in your neighborhood undoubtedly offers aisles full of goods designed to eliminate grease stains on clothes such as Tide to Go, Shout, etc. When you’re cleaning and laundering your clothes, it’s imperative that you read and follow the cleaning instructions carefully, and you should always use the right solution for the fabric.
  • It’s best to work on removing the stain as soon as possible. Pre-treating the stain is recommended if you are unable to get your stained clothes into the washing immediately. Using liquid hand soap is safer than using nothing at all if you don’t have dishwashing soap.
  • After laundering, check to see whether the stain is still visible on the fabric. If it isn’t, you may dry it using a dryer. If this is the case, you will have to pre-treat and rewash the spot. Soaking is recommended between the pre-treatment and the washing process. Prepare a solution consisting of cold powder detergent and lukewarm water for this purpose. Soak your clothes for a couple of hours before you do a final rinse, and then launder them as you usually do.