Oil stain gets harder to shift the longer it sits. Keep water away — absorb it with a dry powder first.
Reaching for water first is the classic mistake: oil does not mix with it, so the edge spreads and the grease is pushed deeper into the weave. The correct order is a dry powder — baking soda or cornstarch — to draw out what sits on the surface, then dishwashing liquid to break down the rest. Left long enough, oil oxidises to a yellow mark that is far harder to shift.
Method by fabric
Cotton and blends
What you need
- Baking soda or cornstarch
- Dishwashing liquid
- Soft toothbrush
Steps
- 1Cover the stain thickly with baking soda and leave 15-30 minutes.
- 2Brush the powder off and apply neat dishwashing liquid.
- 3Work it in with a soft toothbrush in small circles until it foams.
- 4Rinse with warm water around 40°C and wash.
- 5If anything remains, repeat from the start — do not dry it.
Synthetics
What you need
- Cornstarch
- Dishwashing liquid
- Lukewarm water
Steps
- 1Cover with cornstarch and leave at least thirty minutes.
- 2Brush off, apply dishwashing liquid and press it in.
- 3Rinse in lukewarm water, never above 40°C.
- 4Wash and check.
- 5Dry in the shade.
Caution
Synthetic fibres hold oil stubbornly — expect to repeat the process.
Silk and wool
What you need
- Cornstarch
- Dry cloth
Steps
- 1Blot the surface oil with a dry cloth.
- 2Cover with cornstarch and leave at least an hour.
- 3Brush the powder away gently.
- 4For anything remaining, stop and take it to a professional cleaner.
Caution
Dishwashing liquid damages silk and wool — do not apply it directly.
Never do this
- Rinsing with water first — it spreads and drives the oil deeper
- Scrubbing with hot water — it carries the oil through the fibres
- Tumble drying — heat oxidises it into a permanent yellow mark