How to Get Oil Stains Out of Jeans

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Co-authored by Safir Ali

Last Updated: April 19, 2024 References

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Pulling Out the Oil

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Pre-Treating

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Washing

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After you eat something oily, like a piece of pizza, you may become frustrated if you notice that your jeans have acquired a new stain. Since oil stains are tricky, you might worry that it’s stuck there for good. Luckily, there are several ways that you can attempt to get that oil stain out.

Part 1

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Pulling Out the Oil

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Gently press against the oil stain with a paper towel, tissue, or cotton swab. This may help remove excess oil that hasn’t yet set into the stain. Do this as soon as possible after the oil comes in contact with your jeans.
2
Cover the stain in baking powder. After you’ve blotted up the excess, sprinkle baking powder onto the entire oil stain so that it’s completely covered. Lay your jeans on a flat surface and leave them alone for at least 1 hour. If the baking powder is a yellowish color, then it likely effectively pulled at least some of the oil out of your jeans.
- Sprinkle cornstarch onto the stain if you don’t have baking powder. ^{[1]
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Once the baking powder or cornstarch has been sitting on the stain for at least an hour, gently brush off as much of it as you can. You can do this with a damp sponge or rag, but it may be more effective to brush the baking powder or cornstarch off with a large, fluffy makeup brush. ^{[2]
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Cheryl Mendelson, Homekeeping Expert

For oil-based stains, first blot excess oil, then apply dish soap, rubbing alcohol, or an oil-cutting laundry pretreat stick before washing. Avoid hot water, which can set the stain; wash in warm or cold water. For tough stains, try a paste of talcum powder, cornstarch, or baking soda.

Part 2

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Pre-Treating

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Make sure that the spraying straw is attached to your WD-40 before you use it so that you can be in control of the application. Spray the WD-40 all over the stained area. Then, let it sit for 15-30 minutes. ^{[3]
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Hairspray can be applied in the same way that WD-40 is applied to help remove a good portion of the oil stain. Aim the can nozzle at the oily spots and press down to release the hairspray until the stains are completely coated. Leave your jeans alone for a few minutes. ^{[4]
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3
Cover the stain in dish washing liquid. Because it’s made to cut through grease on your dishes, a dish washing liquid, such as Dawn, can help to remove oil from your jeans. Simply squirt the liquid onto all of the affected areas.
- You can also use a more diluted solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid, so long as the dishwashing liquid has some grease removing additive. ^{[5]
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  Safir Ali
  Professional Dry Cleaner
  
  Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
Many shampoos, especially those made for people with oily hair, strip out natural oils in order to give the hair a cleaner appearance. Completely cover the stained area in shampoo to try to strip the oil out of your jeans. ^{[6]
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Scrub the area with a toothbrush. With either the dish soap or the shampoo still on the stain, scrub at the area to remove as much as the oil as you can. Move the toothbrush in circular motions as you do this. ^{[7]
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- Alternatively, rub the garment against itself on the spot of the stain. ^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Safir Ali
  Professional Dry Cleaner
  
  Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.}
After scrubbing, take your jeans to the sink or tub and run some hot water. Hold the jeans underneath the water and rinse off the stained area until all of the suds are gone.

Part 3

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Washing

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Toss your jeans into the washing machine and add in your regular laundry detergent. ^{[9]
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Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner

Expert Interview. 15 September 2020.} Then, measure out ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 ml) of white vinegar and pour it into the washing machine. The vinegar should help to pull out any oil that remains in the jeans.
While some stains are better removed with cold water, you’re much more likely to get rid of your oil stains if the water is hot. Set the water temperature to hot on your washing machine and press “Start.” ^{[10]
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Tumble drying your jeans in the dryer will set in any remaining stains. This will make it much more difficult to get the oil out. After the washing cycle is done, remove your jeans from the washing machine and hang them out on a clothesline or drying rack.
After your jeans are done drying, take a close look at the area that was stained. If you notice that the area is still stained, repeat the process. Don’t dry your jeans in the dryer again until you don’t see any remaining stains after letting the jeans air dry.

Expert Q&A

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How do you get dried oil stains out of clothes?

Safir Ali
Professional Dry Cleaner
Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map.

Safir Ali

Professional Dry Cleaner

Expert Answer

Soak the stain in a solution of warm water and a dishwashing liquid that has some grease-removing additive. Once the stain has been soaked, rub the stain against itself for about five minutes and try to use friction to get most of it out. Then put your clothes in the washing machine like normal.

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