Oil stains are one of those things that you don’t think about until it’s too late. Present in food, salad dressings, skincare products and even makeup, oil and oil-based products can leave a nasty stain on clothes, furniture and fabric if left untreated.

Let’s see easy tips on how to get oil out of clothes,

So you have an oil stain. The first thing to remember is that almost all oils or greases are solid or semi-solid at room temperature and the excess can be blotted gently using a tissue or paper towel. This should be ideally done immediately after the oil stain occurs. After this, you can either use baking soda or a piece of chalk, and even dishwashing liquid to loosen the stain before a wash.

How to remove oil stains with baking soda?

For oil removal on your clothing, baking soda is your first line of defense. Why? Because baking soda is great at pulling the stain up out of the fabric. Baking soda works like a charm on things that cannot be put into a washing machine too. For instance, you can also use baking soda to remove oil stains from a big piece of  furniture such as a sofa or a winter coat. Here are the steps to follow:

• After using a paper towel to remove excess grease, put baking soda on the stain and allow it to sit for 24 hours.
• Brush the baking soda away after a day passes.
• Use a diluted vinegar (half water-half vinegar) spray on the stain.
• Scrub with a brush and gentle soap. If you are dealing with a soft fabric, scrub gently with a toothbrush.
• Repeat the process if it is a stubborn stain.

How to remove oil stains with chalk?

When you can’t really take off your clothes right away or have a very small stain, then you might want to try chalk as a quick fix. Chalk is pretty easy to work with and soaks up oil stains quite nicely. Just remember to use white chalk. Here are the steps to follow:

• Rub the chalk all over the stain.
• Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes or longer until the chalk absorbs all the stain.
• If it doesn’t work after the first round, repeat.
• Launder the garment as usual.

How to remove oil stains with dishwashing liquid?

Just like dishwashing liquid is used to remove heavy grease from used pots and pans, a few drops can be used to remove oil stains from fabrics. Here are the steps to follow:

• Use diluted dishwashing liquid and warm water to loosen the oil stain.
• Let the cloth soak in it for about five minutes.
• Once you soak it for some time, gently scrub the oil-stained fabric fibers against each other or an old toothbrush/another cloth to work the soap into the stain.

Once you have used baking soda, chalk, or dishwashing liquid, follow the washing instruction on the fabric care label of the piece of clothing. If the oil stain is still visible after wash, repeat the process. Avoid putting in a dryer until the oil stain is removed as it can permanently stain the fabric fibers.