How to remove oil and grease stains from clothes – at home and in commercial laundries

Quick answer: Blot off extra oil, work a little detergent into the stain, then wash in the hottest water the fabric allows with your detergent plus a laundry booster. For old yellow oil marks, pre-soak in warm water with booster for 30–60 minutes first. Check the stain before drying – heat from an iron or dryer can set oil permanently.

Stain-by-stain chart

Always follow the garment care label. Not for wool, silk, leather or dry-clean-only garments.

Why oil is so stubborn

Water and oil do not mix. Normal detergent can lift a little oil, but heavy grease – especially from kitchens and machines – soaks deep into cotton fibres. Over time, oil also oxidises: it reacts with air and heat and turns into a sticky, yellow film that ordinary washing cannot shift. That is why restaurant napkins and chef coats slowly turn yellow even when they "look clean" after each wash.

Fresh oil stains at home – 5 steps

1. Blot, don't rub. Press a paper towel on the stain to soak up the extra oil.
2. Work in detergent. Make a paste of detergent powder with a few drops of water and gently rub it into the stain from both sides. Leave for 10 minutes.
3. Wash hot. Use the hottest water the care label allows (usually 40–60 °C for cotton).
4. Add a booster for oily loads – about 35–75 g for a 7 kg home load, along with your normal detergent.
5. Check before drying. If any mark remains, repeat – don't iron or tumble-dry it.

Old yellow oil stains

Stains that have been washed and dried several times need two things: something to break up the old oil, and something to lift the yellow colour left behind.

1. Pre-soak: dissolve 10–30 g of laundry booster in 10 litres of warm water and soak for 30–60 minutes. Wear gloves.
2. Lift the yellow: soak in warm water with oxygen bleach (1–2 tablespoons in 4–5 litres) for 1–2 hours.
3. Wash hot with detergent and booster. Repeat for very old stains.

Whites only? Booster and oxygen bleach are best for whites and colour-fast fabrics. Test dark or bright colours on a hidden spot first.

What a laundry booster does

A booster is an alkaline additive used together with your detergent. Its builders soften the water and break up oily soil, so the same detergent cleans far better. Instead of doubling the detergent – which only leaves residue – you add a small dose of booster.

Doses for Cleansol Laundry Booster Powder, always added with the main detergent.

Restaurant, hotel and hospital linen

In a commercial laundry, oily linen should never be washed with ordinary loads. Follow this routine:

🧺 Exact doses for your machine: try our free laundry dosing calculator for detergent, booster, bleach, sour and softener.

Mistakes that set oil stains for good

• Ironing or tumble-drying before the stain is fully gone – heat fixes oil in the fibre.
• Rubbing hard – it pushes oil deeper and spreads the stain.
• Using only cold water on heavy grease.
• Adding more and more detergent instead of a booster – it leaves residue and the oil stays.
• Chlorine bleach on oil stains – it does not remove oil and can yellow cotton and weaken fibres.
• Washing oily linen with guest linen – oil spreads to the whole load.

Frequently asked questions

Related: How much detergent per kg of clothes · Oxygen bleach for clothes – how to use · How to remove rust stains from clothes

Always follow the garment care label and the product label. Keep laundry chemicals away from children and pets.