Getting motor oil out of soiled clothes

[4WD]

Make it Dawn Ultra … they have watered down versions too - you want concentrated liquid for spots and an old toothbrush to give it a workout

Now where did I put my black & grey camouflaged pants, need to change the oil ðŸ§

 

[vwmaniaman]

You might try Mean Green. My son used that as laundry detergent when he worked on go carts and boats. They looked good when he was done with them.

 

[Lubener]

Pre treat with liquid Tide and a scrub brush to work it in usually works for me.

 

[skyactiv]

I got used oil on my 512 Levi's last weekend. This is what I used and they came out unscathed. I took care of the jeans as soon as I stained them however.
Tide HD will fade your clothes faster so only use it when needed. My wife and I usually use Woolite Darks otherwise.
\\

 

[PimTac]

Laundry detergent and a suitable amount of Twenty Mule Team Borax.

 

[FT92]

I have grey sweat shirts that are oil stained..must have been washed a 50 times stains still there wife tried all sorts of stuff..they are now just for car work or work around the house

 

[Touring5]

Originally Posted by Olas
pure undiluted dichloromethane is your only hope to get dry oil out of clothes. realistically the best approach is to leave the stain in the clothes and be happy that you have new overalls. ALWAYS wear your overalls when working on a vehicle to prevent getting oil stains in your nice clothes.


Yep. Back in the 80's & 90's you could get it as "safety solvent" in an aerosol can. I was on a project in an auto plant and leaned up against a small press that was being rebuilt, not aware of a huge gob of grease that had formed from an auto-luber. The electrician that was working with me went to the supply crib and got a can of safety solvent, which I used to completely remove all the grease and evidence of the mess. There used to also be a great solvent that we used, which I believe was called Freon TF.

 

[Dwight_Frye]

On my last oil change I accidentally got a spot of oil about 2" in diameter on my nearly new jeans. I washed them with regular laundry detergent almost immediately and the stain remained. I then used some Oxyclean liquid stain remover. Sprayed it directly on the spot, worked it in with an old toothbrush and let it soak for about a half hour. I then ran the jeans through another laundry cycle and the stain was gone. I guess I got lucky, I have gotten oil stains on my clothes before and could not remove them.

 

[Leo99]

here is my technique:

Spray stain with full strength Simple Green
Spray with Oxi-clean stain remover
Coat with dish detergent. Dawn is great but I'm not picky; just has to be transparent. No Ivory or opaque detergents.

Rub it lightly to get the concoction into and between the fibers.
Let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Wash with detergent and hot water. Hope for the best.

I have dedicated clothes for car repairs. I'm a messy mechanic and get my clothes dirty and spill fluids. Got some gear fluid on some clothes and didn't want to contaminate my washing machine trying to remove it.

 

[97prizm]

Oil Eater cleaner degreaser. It's amazing stuff.

 

[CT Rob]

stain will always be there now.yes it will be clean but stain lives forever

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Well I got the stains out finally and no signs of any oil residue remaining. I used a combination of....
Permatex White Hand Cleaner (blue round canister can)
Dawn Ultra Dish Detergent
Super Clean Degreaser Spray (blue bottle in Automotive at Walmart)

No brushing. Used my fingers to work these products into the fabric. Let sit about 90 minutes, then normal laundry wash & double rinse.
Thanks to everyone that replied.

 

[Dinoburner]

Originally Posted by Silk
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

saith the man in black

 

[Shel_B]

Dawn liquid might have helped as a first step but after all the different methods you tried and the two wash cycles, the stains are probably "set" and there's no helping them now.

Dawn, applied directly and generously, and left to soak in a while, has always removed grease and oil stains from my clothing. I often let the detergent-infused items sit at least overnight. But, as @gman noted, y'gotta catch it before doing the things you did. For next time ...

BTW, get a copy of Consumer Reports: How to Clean Pracically Anything, or other similar tomes.

Laundry & cleaning - Consumer Reports

The experts at CR have curated everything you need to know to create a home you love: the best home products, smart maintenance ideas, and savvy shopping tips.

www.consumerreports.org

 

[PimTac]

Dawn, applied directly and generously, and left to soak in a while, has always removed grease and oil stains from my clothing. I often let the detergent-infused items sit at least overnight. But, as @gman noted, y'gotta catch it before doing the things you did. For next time ...

BTW, get a copy of Consumer Reports: How to Clean Pracically Anything, or other similar tomes.

Laundry & cleaning - Consumer Reports

The experts at CR have curated everything you need to know to create a home you love: the best home products, smart maintenance ideas, and savvy shopping tips.

www.consumerreports.org

Triple_Se7en is no longer here.