We’ve all been there. Our favourite shirt/dress/jacket is instantly ruined with one careless spill of a greasy, yet delicious, food. Pizza and fresh-off-the-grill burgers are the most likely culprits, but even salad dressings contain oils that can stain and ruin your favourite clothes. Since abandoning greasy foods for life is not really a viable option, the next best choice is to learn some tricks of the trade for tackling the king of stains – grease.
Who better to go to for answers on protecting your most valuable clothes than the fashion experts – Esquire. When trying to remove a grease stain, the high-fashion experts at Esquire recommend the following five strategies:
Lestoil or Pine Sol
Manufactured by the same company, Clorox, Lestoil and Pine Sol are ‘similar enough’ products that their impact on grease-fighting is the same. The one difference Esquire notes is that Pine Sol is typically easier to find than Lestoil.
The process for treating grease stains is simple: dab the stain with whichever product you have, then launder as per usual. DO NOT place the item in the dryer. Heat serves only to set in grease stains, so the dryer is the worst place to put your item. After laundering grease-stained items, always allow them to air dry.
Cornstarch
Esquire recommends cornstarch as a remedy for older, more set-in grease stains. The method for treating stains with cornstarch is to find a flat place for your item where it will be undisturbed. Pile the cornstarch on top of the stain and leave it. After the cornstarch has sat on the item for at least an hour, brush away the cornstarch and remove any residual powder with a clean, damp sponge. If parts of the stain still remain, use one of the other methods here to clear it away.
WD-40
While you may find it odd to be using WD-40 on your clothes, it can work wonders for grease stains. Esquire recommends spraying the stain and then leaving it for 15-30 minutes. Then, rub liquid laundry or dish detergent on the stain and allow that to sit for another 15-30 minutes. Launder the garment as usual and allow it to air dry.
Shampoo for Oily Hair
Massaging shampoo designed for oily hair into a grease stain, rinsing with cold water, and then laundering can be effective. Remember, the shampoo is designed to remove oil from hair, so it can work just as well for your clothes.
Mechanics Soap
Since mechanics are constantly cleaning up grease stains, it makes sense that soap designed for mechanics would be effective at cleaning grease stains. Esquire recommends two brands, Lava and GOJO, and a process of working the product into the stain for 15-30 minutes and then laundering. You will want to launder your stained clothes separate of any others so the smell of the mechanics soap doesn’t spread to all your items.
Bonus Method – Coca-Cola
For those of you who are dedicated Coke drinkers, you’ll want to skip this one!
Apparently, Coca-Cola makes for an excellent grease remover due to the incredible amount of acid contained in the product. For those who want to try this method out, here is a how-to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrG9Grkfxuw
Forget the Hassle, Call Simply Laundry!
Of course, the best course of action for treating grease stains is to get the item to a professional dry cleaner as soon as possible. While the above strategies are nice to know for emergencies, why invest the time and effort? If you’ve got a tough grease stain, get your item the TLC it needs by calling Simply Laundry! We’ll have your item back to you within 48 hours, good as new, without you having to so much as lift a finger – well, unless you count a mouse click. If you haven’t discovered the time-saving convenience of Simply Laundry yet, sign up for your free account today!