What can get grease stains out of clothes

You’re enjoying your meal when...bam! There goes that new tee or blouse, covered in greasy butter or gravy drips. Ugh!

"Grease is one of the worst substances to get out," says Michael Silva-Nash, executive vice president of Molly Maid of Greater Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas. "But it is possible if you act fast and follow several steps to help pull the grease away from the fabric surface."

Here’s exactly how to get grease stains out of clothes:

Act fast.

The longer it sits there, the tougher a grease stain will be to remove. If it just happened, remove as much as possible with a plain white paper towel. (You don’t want dyes from paper towels with designs to transfer to the material, making the situation worse.)

"Blot, don’t rub at the stain—because rubbing will push the substance into the fibers," says Silva-Nash. This technique also works on other items, such as tablecloths or cloth napkins.

If you're out and about, sprinkling a small amount of salt or artificial sweetener on the stain can help keep it from setting.

Check the wash label.

Cotton can withstand hot water and repeated washings. Synthetic fabrics can be tricky because you may not know if it's blended with other materials, but many will tolerate warm water. If you’re not sure what kind of fabric you have and are worried about the garment shrinking, cold water is the safest bet, though it may not be as effective for flushing out stains. If it’s a silk or wool garment, you’re better off taking to a professional dry cleaner.

Dab dish soap directly on the stain.

Apply a single drop or two of a traditional dish soap, such as Dawn, directly on top of the stain; avoid plant-based types which often don't have the same grease-fighting power. Gently smear it across the stain with your finger. Rub it in the direction of the fibers (sort of like the "grain"). The goal is to get the grease to interact with the soap, which attaches itself to the oil and pulls it away from the fabric when water is added. You also can try this step with your favorite laundry detergent.

Rinse from the opposite side of the fabric.

Now flush water (as hot as is recommended for the fabric) from the back side—not the stained side—of the garment. Flush for several minutes. Toss it in your washing machine and launder immediately on the hottest setting the garment can tolerate using your regular laundry detergent. You can also try adding an extra stain remover or pre-treater, but be sure to read the instructions.

Air dry and check for stains.

Heat from your dryer will set stains, so let the garment air dry. Then, inspect for any remaining residue. If there’s still a shadow of a stain, repeat the process, says Silva-Nash. You can make multiple attempts and may have success if you’re patient! Although the technique isn’t always foolproof, it’s certainly worth a try to save your favorite garments from those ugly grease and oil stains.

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Arricca SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.

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Even though pizza is your favorite Friday night dinner, it's often the culprit behind life's worst grease stains. "Grease is one of the most common stains I get asked about and it can be one of the toughest to remove, especially from synthetic fabrics, like polyester," Carolyn Forte, Director of the Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, says.

Shout Advanced Grease-Busting Foam worked the best on grease in our Cleaning Lab tests, but if you're at work or nowhere near a laundry room, there are a couple of easy remedies that will help get out fresh grease stains. Forte's go-to for removing grease stains on the go: dish soap. It's made to cut grease on your plates, so it can also help with your clothes.

The condiments on your table can work magic, too. A sprinkle of salt or artificialsweetenerhelps prevent an oil stain from setting into the fabric and makes it easier to lift when you're doing laundry later on.

How to Get Grease Stains Out of Washable Clothes

Follow these six simple steps for getting out new and old grease stains, no matter where you are (or what oily food you spilled).

Materials

• Salt or artificial sweetener
• Dish soap
• Shout Advanced Grease-Busting Foam or another pre-treater

Step-by-step Instructions

1. If you're out and about, quickly sprinkle a little salt or artificial sweetener on the stain to keep it from setting.
2. Brush off the powder after a few minutes.
3. At home, immediately work a little grease-cutting dishwashing soap into the stain and rinse with warm water.
4. When it's time to launder it, rub in liquid laundry detergent or apply a pre-treater, like Shout Advanced Grease-Busting Foam.
5. Wash in the hottest water safe for the fabric.
6. Air dry the garment until you are sure the stain is completely gone.

That's it! Consider your work shirt officially saved.

Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.  

Carolyn FortéHome Care & Cleaning Lab Executive Director

Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.

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