How to Remove Oil Stains From Silk

Are your silk clothes stained with oil? Relax; we are going to help you deal with this menace easily. Oil stains don’t have to make you throw away your clothes. However, removing oil stains is not a walk in the park, whether it’s a major oil spill or a small spot. They are one of the most difficult stains to remove and can be challenging if set into the cloth for a long time.

Therefore, to effectively remove oil stains from your clothes, use oil stain removers such as baking soda, dish soap, baby powder, chalk, or aloe vera. Continue reading this guide for a step-by-step guide on using these stain removers.

Step-by-Step Guide

You could have more alternatives than you think when getting oil stains out of your clothes! Don’t worry. Removing recent and still-wet stains will be simpler than older ones embedded in the fabric.

And yes, this is still true even if your shirt, sweatshirt, blouse, blue jeans, or whatever else has already been washed and dried. Just a few more sessions of therapy might be necessary to achieve sobriety.

Below are some of the most effective ways to remove oil stains from clothing. The methods listed here provide easy, highly effective methods for stain removal with the least amount of stress, whether your stain is caused by motor oil, olive oil, marula seed oil, grease from pizza, or anything else.

Method 1: Using Baking Soda and Dish Soap

Oil stains can be effectively removed using this method, regardless of how old they are or how long they have been dried or set. It is also rather simple to use. This is one of the finest ways to get oil out of your clothes, provided you have the tools!

You can repeat this procedure as often as necessary if the stain is particularly noticeable or has been on your clothing for a while.

1. If the oil stain is still wet, use a paper towel to absorb any extra liquid (our tree-free paper towels work excellent for this!). Be careful not to over-rub it and accidentally spread the stain!
   
2. Lay your clothes flat, place a piece of cardboard or an old rag under the stain to prevent bleeding through, and then liberally apply pure baking soda to the spot. Give it 30 minutes to rest.
   
3. Remove the baking soda into the cloth and gently massage the stain with a clean, damp toothbrush. And if your clothing is particularly delicate, exercise extra caution.
   
4. On the baking soda and stain, use a little liquid dish soap (not dishwashing detergent). Once it and the baking soda have formed a paste, rub it into the area with your fingers or a toothbrush. The area should be evenly covered. Give it five minutes to rest.
   
5. Remove the cardboard or cloth, then wash the soap and baking soda off.
   
6. Put the garment you adore and will soon be stain-free in the washing machine. Utilizing laundry detergent, wash as usual. Utilize the warmest water recommended for your clothing. Washing each piece of clothing individually isn’t always essential, but it can be a good idea. To be considerate of the environment and your money, if you wash it separately, set the water level to low.
   
7. Air-dry; it’s vital to avoid placing your stained garment in the dryer since the heat from the dryer could make the stain more difficult to get out. The drying machine is advised only when the stain has been entirely removed.

Keep in mind that hot or warm water must be used. At room temperature, grease and some forms of oil (like coconut oil) are solid or semi-solid. In contrast to protein- or tannin-based stains, like chocolate stains, which require cold water, successfully removing a stain demands a hotter water temperature.

After rinsing off the baking soda and dish soap mixture (in step five), perform the following if you want to add a bit more stain-fighting power:

A pail of warm water and oxygen bleach should be used to soak your outfit. Be sure to follow the label’s recommendations for exact proportions. Give it one hour to rest. Rinse. An excellent, greener substitute for conventional chlorine bleach is oxygen bleach.

Continue to steps 6 and 7 to wash and dry your piece of clothing, which should now be free of the bothersome oil stain.

Be aware that unless the tags or the bleach container specifically say it’s alright, you should avoid using oxygen bleach on clothing made from delicate fabrics like wool or silk.

TIP – If baking soda doesn’t work, use an environmentally friendly spot-treatment spray as directed on the box, then wash as usual. This might assist in removing the final traces of oil from the fabric’s fibers! Remember that you should perform this procedure independently of your baking soda therapy.

Method 2: Using Baby Powder

If you want to get rid of a fresh oil stain quickly, you don’t have any baking soda on hand. Baby powder functions as a reliable and efficient substitute. Simply follow the directions above, replacing the baking soda with the baby powder. Any brand of baby powder will work, but the best (and greenest) option for your clothes is plain old unscented powder without any colors.

Method 3: Using Chalk

Chalk is a highly absorbent material for removing oil stains, another variant of the baby powder and baking soda method. Simply adhere to the procedures outlined above for baking soda.

Instead of dusting a powder, you’ll need to rub the stick of chalk into the stain, so take care not to rub too hard and spread the oil deeper into the cloth. Although a little challenging, this is a nice choice in a pinch. Note that white chalk should be used in this situation because colorful chalk can cause your clothing to get stained again.

Method 4: Using Aloe Vera

Oil stains can be eliminated with the same pure aloe vera gel you use to treat sunburns. You just need to soak the item in hot water for about 20 minutes, apply aloe vera to the stain, work it into the stain with your fingers or a toothbrush, rinse with warm water, then hang the item to dry.