Looking for suggestions: I've tried a number of DIY solutions, but none seem to have worked. We have toddlers that have gotten food stains all over my limited wardrobe — about five black tees that I wear most of the week. I've tried soaking in oxyclean over night, I've tried pouring hot water from a tea kettle to physically break the molecular bonds (works great for coffee), and a few commercial stain removers. They just don't seem to come out. I'd hate to replace them, but need to look reasonably together at my casual workplace. Know of any solutions that spared you from turning favorite clothes into rags?
Posted by wildfacile
32 Comments
Have you tried just rubbing Dawn dish soap? Let it soak for a while, then wash.
I’ve used a mix of Dawn dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda to make a paste. Rub it on the stain, let it sit for a while, then wash. It’s even worked on set-in stains.
gojo, the best stuff
Dish soap for grease on fabrics- always.
Rub in Dawn Powerwash and let it sit for a few hours. Then toss in the washing machine with Tide.
Super Clean engine degreaser in the purple bottle. Look in the automotive department. It saved my clothes when my kids were young!
Next best is foaming dish detergent such as Dawn Powerwash. It’s the foaming part the matters, not the brand. I refill power wash bottles with regular detergent and water
Dawn powerwash and let it sit for a day before washing
Lester Oil. My mom used to wash my dad’s work clothes with it, he was a welder, pipe fitter, boiler maker. My gf swears by it too. I don’t think you need much.
WD-40. Yes, it works. Just launder the clothes afterwards.
The original Dawn dish soap. I used to work at a couple of pizza places and the smell and grease stains were 🤮. I tried everything to try to get rid of the stains and smell. The only thing that worked was the Dawn dish soap. I would put a little bit directly on the stain and then wash in HOT water only. Then I would run through a normal cycle in washing machine. I also kept those clothes separate from everything else
I agree with the Dawn. But, rather than all the other ingredients, I would start with Dawn and DO NOT PUT IT IN THE DRYER.
If all the stains do not come out, you can try adding some other things, but I typically get all grease stains out with just Dawn. Occasionally, I will have to do it a second time to finish it up.
FYI, I line dry all of my clothes, so stains don’t set as easily.
Lestoil
Definitely try the suggestion about scrubbing into the stains with Dawn and let it sit at least 10 minutes before washing.
Scrubbing some Clorox 2 into stains has also worked for me. Use your fingers or a discarded toothbrush.
I use regular dawn dish soap on all of my stains on my clothing. I’ve only had a couple of things that the stain would not come out. One was blood and I found out hydrogen peroxide takes blood out very well in clothing, but that is with white clothes. If it is a darker material, the peroxide will stain it.
r/laundry
I just got a grease stain out of a black shirt using dawn. I washed it about three times.
Pre treat with Dawn (and I do recommend the brand). It may take a few washes if it’s set in, but it should work eventually.b
Have you tried soaking it in ammonia, then scrub? Ammonia is a great degreaser.
There is a dry cleaner on YouTube who gives the best advice for all things laundry and stain removal – [jeevesny](https://youtube.com/shorts/KD164GtjcCM?si=-kcgDiHwdBYFVn2B).
I used to use a product called Goop on grease stains for my ex’s clothes. It’s made for mechanics, I just rubbed it into the stain and threw it in the washing machine with everything else and it worked great.
Spray & Wash stain stick. Used to work in a kitchen and this always got the grease out of my shirts.
Dish soap is my choice (not neccessarily dawn, i usually buy ecover, that works just as well), tamp it in, leave for a bit (or a lot… sometimes i do it the night before i do the laundry), then wash. Maybe wd-40, that dissolves oil (and machine grease!), but that needs to be removed after too – with dish soap.
r/laundry
you have to immediately wet the stain with cold water then treat with dawn, shout or hydrogen peroxide depending on what it is. make sure to agitate it until it suds up then launder as usual within a day or two. leave it to line dry if you’re not sure the stain is out after one wash
Pro chef here, liquid dish soap. Just a dab rubbed into the grease spot when the fabric is dry. Let it sit a short while then launder as usual.
Just don’t get too carried away or you’ll have too much detergent/suds for your machine to handle.
What works best for me is dish soap with a bit of baking soda mixed into a slurry, worked into the stain and let sit for an hour or more, then rinse
You need a detergent or booster with lipase. I use resolve gold as a booster but if you go to the laundry sub you can find lists of detergents and boosters with lipase
Regular Dawn dish soap, the one with the yellow duck on the label. Sometimes it take more than one washing with it rubbed in, but it does a great job of getting out grease stains. I’ve even had success getting old set in grease stains out with it.
K2R spray – it’s the only thing I have found that actually works.
This may get downvoted but it worked for me on a carpet when nothing else would. Oil will breakdown oil so maybe put a bit of olive oil on a cotton bud/q-tip and lightly dab?
1 part dish soap. 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide. 1 part baking soda. Make a paste w that, rub it on, let sit for 15 mins. Then throw in the wash.
I use this on EVERYTHING it’s changed my life
Might want to try re-dying the shirts too