What do you use to get.....

[Marcozi]

.....oil stains out of cotton clothes that have been washed and dried? I've tried the following with no real luck:
- Dawn dishwashing liquid (all types)
- WD40
- CRC Brakleen (!!)
- Acetone
- Various "stain removers" (i.e., Shout gel with enzymes)
- Dawn mixed with vinegar (great salad dressing /s)
- Vinegar mixed with baking soda (results in an acid)
- Simple Green
- Simple Green mixed with various other products such as Dawn.

 

[PF52]

Have you tried trichloroethane? It'll dissolve anything.... Just don't breathe it at all.

 

[Schandyman]

You can try FOLEX, however since the clothes been washed may not be as effective.

 

[SR5]

Two things to try,
- alcohol, ethanol, methylated spirits (to dissolve the stain, sometimes alcohol works where oil/water/acetone doesn't)
- soaking overnight in napisan or bleach (to oxidise the stain)

 

[Leo99]

I'm good at getting out stains but oil stains can be very difficult. You could try Lestoil. Stronger solvents could cause issues with the dye in the clothes or damage the fibers.

FYI, vinegar is an acid (~5% acetic acid) Mixing with baking soda neutralizes it.

 

[swampdodo]

You might give this a try...not sure about old stains, but if pretreated and left to sit...then wash in warmest possible water...works pretty good for me...

https://www.amazon.com/Permatex-22340-Mechanics-Laundry-Detergent/dp/B01KE1VYOK

 

[HankHill]

TSP, Trisodium phosphate mixed water to a paste, soak stain for over 30 mins, throw in washer and add more TSP in and wash. Just make sure you do an extra rinse cycle to get any traces of the TSP out of the item It doesn't get every trace of it off, there can be a very light trace of it left depending on stain.
I've used it on my hoodies with pretty big oil spots on them, and after two washes with tsp on board, the stain is pretty much invisible.

 

[Tdbo]

Oil stains are difficult, if not almost impossible to remove.
However, I have had good luck with hand soap, such as Gojo or Permatex.

 

[measureman]

Scissors

 

[Marcozi]

You can try FOLEX, however since the clothes been washed may not be as effective.

I've tried Woollite spot remover for carpets. No effect at all. IKs FOLEX the same/similar stuff?

 

[Schandyman]

I've tried Woollite spot remover for carpets. No effect at all. IKs FOLEX the same/similar stuff?

I'm not sure if or how similar the two are.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Make a lye paste, it will convert the oil to a soap.
I would add another oil first to solubilise the old oil. Maybe a soybean oil. Work it in then add the lye. Give it 5 min then rinse.
Hopefully it wont eat a hole in the fabric. Use gloves and eye protection.

Before that - have you tried to SHOUT it out ?

 

[Duffyjr]

My experience is you have to get after the stain right away within a few minutes other wise using something that will get the stain out later usually ruins the material or at least fades it.

 

[ironman_gq]

Fels Naptha Soap, comes in a rock hard bar and looks like something your grandma had next to the wash tub. I wet down the spots and rub the bar into the stain till it works through the fabric. It's taken out some stains that I thought were a lost cause, grease and gear oil and dirty diesel oil on sweatshirts. Has not harmed the material at all.

 

[ChrisMU]

My mother would use Lestoil and/or fast orange hand cleaner to get fresh oil and latex paint out of clothing way back when.

 

[FT92]

Oil stains are difficult, if not almost impossible to remove.
However, I have had good luck with hand soap, such as Gojo or Permatex.

same here, my go to cleaner when i get oil on t shirts, hoodies, etc.

 

[paulo57509]

I would get a can of Berryman B-12 and spray or soak the stain until it's either remove or close to removed. Then launder and repeat but don't dry until the stain is gone. This has worked for me but my guess is there's a threshold of how intense the stain is.

Yeah, it's abuse of cotton clothes but figure that they're already stained and expendable. If all else fails, you have some work clothes to add to the pile.

 

[Marcozi]

I'm good at getting out stains but oil stains can be very difficult. You could try Lestoil. Stronger solvents could cause issues with the dye in the clothes or damage the fibers.

FYI, vinegar is an acid (~5% acetic acid) Mixing with baking soda neutralizes it.

Actually, mixing the 2 ingrediants creates

Make a lye paste, it will convert the oil to a soap.
I would add another oil first to solubilise the old oil. Maybe a soybean oil. Work it in then add the lye. Give it 5 min then rinse.
Hopefully it wont eat a hole in the fabric. Use gloves and eye protection.

Before that - have you tried to SHOUT it out ?

Yup, Shout did zip. Even tried the Shout stain remover. Nada.

 

[The Critic]

Nothing, it is a lost cause.

 

[JTK]

It's about impossible to get an oil stain out of today's cotton clothes even if you get right on it with some type of treatment. After it's been washed and dried, forget it.