My Favorite DIY Stain Remover for Oil Stains

Today I want to share my secret for getting stubborn oil stains out of fabric and clothing! I'll admit, I actually love a laundry challenge. Laundry is a chore I don't typically mind doing. Now I don't love folding and putting away laundry, but the actual washing? Especially if the item needs some TLC to bring it back to it's former glory? I'll take it!


My post on how I prevent fabric bleeding (The Cheap Secret to Preventing Fabric Bleeding in Quilts) from a few years back was so well received, I thought you might enjoy another laundry related tutorial! This DIY stain fighting paste is my favorite way to treat oil or grease stains. This even works on old oil/grease stains that have been through the dryer, it just requires a little patience. This method is not complicated, and it uses ingredients you probably already have! A (big) bonus for me is it doesn't have much of a scent. I find most stain fighting products you buy at the store have a heavy fragrance, which I personally like to avoid.

This paste works especially well on oil stains, which I find often don't respond to off the shelf stain fighters. It works well on other types of stains too!

DIY Stain Remover for Oil Stains

Materials:
- Dawn Ultra Dish Soap (the original blue)
- Baking soda
- Water
- Old toothbrush
- Small container for mixing



1. Mix 1 parts Dawn dish soap and 2 parts baking soda. Use a small amount of water to thin it out to a spreadable paste. Example amount: 1 Tablespoon Dawn, 2 Tablespoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon water. I just eyeball the amounts, it's very forgiving! I use the toothbrush to mix!


2. Wet the stained area. I keep a spray bottle with water in my laundry cart, so I can easily wet my stains before I treat them. I have used this paste on dry fabric too, but I find it easier to work in the paste on wet fabric.


3. Apply a liberal amount of the paste to the stain.

4. Using the toothbrush, gently work the paste into the fabric. Cover with another layer of paste for especially tough stains.

5. Let it sit at least overnight. I usually let it sit for 24 hours depending on how old or bad the stain is. I like to let it sit flat, so that the paste dries out.


6. Before washing, break off dried paste. I rinse the area in the sink with warm water before throwing it in the wash.

7. Wash normally. If the stain was especially difficult, I'll let it air dry to see if I need to do a repeat application.


Repeat if necessary to fully remove stain. Sometimes stubborn stains require a couple rounds!

Happy Washing!