For oil stain on cotton and blends: Keep water away โ absorb it with a dry powder first. Follow the steps below and most of these come out without a trip to the cleaner.
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 โ baking soda or cornstarch โ 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 40ยฐC and wash.
- 5If anything remains, repeat from the start โ do not dry it.
Never do this
- Rinsing with water first โ it spreads and drives the oil deeper
- Scrubbing with hot water โ it carries the oil through the fibres
- Tumble drying โ heat oxidises it into a permanent yellow mark