How to Remove Oil & Grease Stains from Clothes

Quick answer: for cooking oil, apply 3–4 drops of Stain Away Stain Cleaner, rub for 10–15 seconds, and rinse from the back of the fabric with lukewarm water. For set-in grease after a wash, blot with tissue first, then use 7–8 drops and avoid the tumble dryer until the mark is gone.

What to do immediately

For a fresh cooking oil splash, blot (don't rub) any excess oil with a paper towel or tissue before it spreads. The sooner you treat it, the less chance it has to set into the fabric.

What not to do

Never put a garment with a visible oil or grease mark into the tumble dryer — heat can set the stain and make it noticeably harder to remove afterward. Avoid rubbing a fresh oil splash hard, which spreads it rather than lifting it.

Step by step: fresh cooking oil

1. Blot excess oil with a paper towel or tissue.
2. Apply 3–4 drops of Stain Away Stain Cleaner directly to the mark.
3. Rub gently for 10–15 seconds.
4. Rinse the stain from the back of the fabric with lukewarm water, then wash normally.
5. Check the fabric before tumble-drying — repeat the treatment first if any oily mark remains.

Step by step: grease stains after washing

Grease that's survived a wash cycle needs a slightly stronger approach. Remove any surface grease with tissue paper first, then apply 7–8 drops of Stain Away Stain Cleaner, rub for 10–15 seconds, and rinse the stain from the back of the fabric with lukewarm water. Keep the garment out of the tumble dryer while any mark is still visible — complete removal isn't guaranteed once heat has already been applied, so it's worth getting this step right the first time.

Rust marks

A related everyday mark: for rust, gently brush away any loose particles first, then apply 3–4 drops, rub for 10–15 seconds, and rinse from the back of the fabric with lukewarm water — rust and grease are grouped together as one of the categories printed on the Stain Away bottle.

Fabric considerations

Oil and cooking oil is one of the two printed stain categories on the bottle, alongside rust and grease. This method suits everyday cotton, polyester and blended fabrics. Patch-test first, and be especially cautious with delicate fabrics, since oil-based marks can be more stubborn to begin with.

Old vs. fresh stains

Fresh oil is considerably easier to treat than grease that's already been through a hot wash or dryer cycle — heat can bond oil-based stains to fabric fibres. If you're dealing with an older grease mark, treat it as described above, repeat if needed, and know that complete removal isn't guaranteed, particularly after heat exposure.

Common mistakes

• Tumble-drying before confirming the mark has actually lifted.
• Using the same drop count for fresh oil and set-in grease — grease genuinely needs more (7–8 drops vs. 3–4).
• Skipping the tissue-blotting step on grease, which leaves more residue for the cleaner to work through.

How Stain Away fits in

Kitchen splashes and grease marks tend to happen at home, where a small bottle in a kitchen drawer means you can treat the stain before it ever goes near the wash — which matters, since heat is the thing that makes oil and grease stains genuinely difficult.

FAQ

Why does grease need more drops than fresh oil?
Grease that's already been through a wash is more stubborn — 7–8 drops instead of 3–4 gives it a better chance.

Can I tumble-dry if the stain looks mostly gone?
Only once you're confident the mark is fully treated. Any visible residue can be set permanently by dryer heat.

Does this work on upholstery or carpets, not just clothes?
The same general approach applies — test an inconspicuous area first and avoid oversaturating the material. See our Fabric & Care Guide for more detail.