There’s nothing worse than getting oil on your clothes. Thankfully, we at Parkers hate this too, so we’d had a good look at ways to remove grease and oil from your clothes before you put them in the washing machine.
Happily, if you want to avoid getting anything on your Sunday best, you can look at our guide to the best garage overalls to ensure you only get oil on the clothes you intend to. If you want to keep things super squeaky clean, you can find something from the best garage gloves guide on Parkers, too.
How to get oil out of your clothes
The most important thing to do is not to bung it all straight in the washing machine – after the obligatory annoyance and words muttered under your breath, take a breath, relax and follow these steps.
Step 1: Blot It
Using some absorbent paper, blot out any excess oil or grease off the fabric’s surface that hasn’t yet sunk in. The quicker you do this, the better. It will give less time for the material to absorb the fluid and stain the clothing.
Jantex Centrefeed Blue Roll Paper Towels
Price: £16.87 | VIEW OFFER
There are few garage essentials more essential than the trusty blue roll. These can be used for all purposes, and the initial blotting out of fluids on clothes is one of them.
Pros
• Recycled material
• Multi-purpose
• 2-ply
Cons
• Have to buy in bulk to make the most of the discounts
Regina Blitz Kitchen Towel Extra Large Roll
Price: £9.60 | VIEW OFFER
Not strictly for your garage but super absorbent for when you need it, it’ll help mop up any spills and help blot out any spills onto fabrics.
Pros
• Absorbent
• 3-ply
Cons
• Intended for kitchen use
• Expensive
The Original Shamwow
Price: £24.95 | VIEW OFFER
At £24.95 for a pack of eight, the Shamwow is better for spills than blotting out, but it’s super absorbent and could get you out of a fix. What’s great is that you can also use it to mop water off your car.
Pros
• Absorbs up to 10 times its weight
• Multi-purpose
Cons
• One-time use if blotting out oil or grease
Aksoy Baking Soda 1.8KG
Price: £6.74 | VIEW OFFER
If you can’t get as much out as you’d like with a paper towel, you can always try baking soda – this will absorb any leftover residue and some of the smell. Just cover the area soiled with baking soda and leave it to sit for five minutes before disposing of the powder in a bag. If you’ve used this to soak up petrol on your clothes, take extra care of how you dispose of it.
Pros
• Absorbent
• Relatively cheap
• Helps remove smells
Cons
• Be careful when disposing of it
Step 2: Soak It
If you put your clothes in the washing machine now, all the grease, oil or whatever is in your clothes will end up in the washing machine, and then you’ll have oil and grease in your washing machine forever more. It’s essential to soak out as much of whatever you have on your clothes first – the only way to do this is with equal parts vinegar and hot water, letting it soak for at least half an hour.
Golden Swan White Vinegar
Price: £6.40 | VIEW OFFER
This super cheap cleaning option has been used for a long time and is a traditional method of cleaning pretty much anything.
Pros
• Cheap
• Time-proven method
Cons
• The idea of putting your clothes in vinegar might put you off
Dr Beckmann Stain Devils Specialist Stain Remover
Price: £3.75 | VIEW OFFER
If you don’t fancy pouring vinegar on your clothes, and we don’t imagine many of you do, you can always try this inexpensive specialist stain remover from Dr Beckmann. Use the same way you would vinegar and soak the soiled clothes in a solution of this and hot water.
Pros
• Respected brand name which works well
• Relatively inexpensive
Cons
• If you don’t already have it at home, you’ll have to buy in, making stains harder to remove.
• One-time use
Step 3: Wash It
After you’re satisfied that you’ve removed enough of the stain from the clothing (if you’re not, repeat step 2), it’s finally time to wash your clothes in the machine as you would normally. You can clean with a stain remover to boost stain removal.
It’s also vital that you wash the stained clothes separate from any others, any grease or oil still in the fabrics can transfer across, and you’ll end up with more and more stained garments.
Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover
Price: £8.56 | VIEW OFFER
Well-known brand Vanish has been helping people remove stains since they began. Hopefully, a scoop of this in your wash will give that stain the last boot out of your clothes.
Pros
• Well-known brand
• Trusted in stain removal
Cons
• High price
• If you don’t already have it at home, you’ll have to buy in, making stains harder to remove
Prevention is better than cure
As always, we suggest prevention is better than cure and if you have your garage overalls and clothes which you routinely wear to work on the car, keep to these.
We find most stains get out of our clothes from wiping our hands onto our clothes without realising. Getting yourself some decent hand wash will help keep oils at bay.
Swarfega Original Classic Hand Cleaner
Price: £10.75 | VIEW OFFER
A trusted name and seen in many car garages up and down the land. Easy to scoop out and works well in removing grease and oil.
Pros
• Very well-known brand
• Works well
• Used by mechanics all over the UK
Cons
• If you don’t have the lid off, you’ll get grease and oil all over the top
Big Wipes Industrial Anti-Bacterial Wipes
Price: £10.50 | VIEW OFFER
Instead of wiping your hands on your jeans or t-shirt, try a wipe before that. These wipes are incredibly good at removing most things from your hands before you get anywhere near the soap.
Pros
• Great to get oil off your hands quickly
• Low price for lots of wipes
Cons
• It can dry out if the lid is left off
Everbuild Wonder Wipes
Price: £13.17 | VIEW OFFER
Have you got oil or grease on your hand tools and surfaces? It’s a good idea to get that off as quickly as possible so the next time you pick up that tool, you don’t get oil on your hand, which transfers to your clothes.
Pros
• Multi-purpose
• Cleans a large number of spills and substances
• Low cost
Cons
• Getting one wipe out of the tub at a time can be a struggle
Frequently Asked Questions
Will vinegar ruin my clothes? No, if washed out correctly, you shouldn’t even smell the vinegar after; it may take a couple of washes for clothes you’ve had to give an extra soak to.
How quickly should I try and get the oil out of my clothes? This should be done as soon as it happens, trying to blot the oil straight away. Sometimes it’s not noticed until later, and at this point, any fluid has had the advantage of staining the fabric and making it much harder to remove from your clothes.
What about drying my clothes? It’s always best to air dry; if you’ve spilt petrol on your clothes, you’ll undoubtedly want to air dry outside on a washing line rather than a tumble drier or radiator to reduce fire risk.
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