Grease stains....

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I'm a slob who has difficulty hitting my mouth.  I have an even harder time hitting my mouth when I am not seated at the table - which until recently, I was not able to do.  Most of my meals over the last year have been in a lift chair.

So the other morning, I put on a shirt and realized that there are a LOT of grease stains down the front.  I wore it that day, but wasn't going to go out.  I put on another shirt the next morning and realized that there are grease stains on that shirt.  The shirt I put on this morning doesn't have any (yet), but I suspect that at least 50% of the shirts that I have out here are stained.

All of these shirts have been washed and dried.  Is there any hope for salvaging them or should I just start a collection of shirts for painting only?

[swamp]

i've had some luck with a Shout stick.

[whoami]

Dawn dish soap. Scrub the stain with it and they should come out. Front and back of the stain. 

[Abby Normal]

Ditto on the Dawn. It's amazing for getting grease stains out.

[lexxy703]

Dawn has also worked for me.

[Deleted]

Dawn works wonders. I will ask Dawn what her secrets are the next time she comes to clean our house.

[kittensaver]

It's been my experience that once a stain has been through the heat of the dryer, it's pretty much done-for. I've had some limited luck with using the local drycleaner to salvage (or at least reduce the obvious look of spots) and clothes and furniture covers that "really matter" to me.


Here's my homemade laundry pre-wash formula [disclosure: I have MCS and most/all commercial products make me sick]: one part liquid detergent (I use Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds but you could use any liquid detergent, not soap) one part vegetable glycerine and two parts water. This stuff works GREAT on fresh stains (stains that have not yet been laundered and put in the dryer). It is MUCH cheaper than any of the commercial pre-spotters out there. Also - over the years I've learned to keep the cleaner right by the laundry bin; spots get treated immediately after the clothing comes off your body and before it goes in the hamper. I've had way less success with looking over and treating clothing as it comes out of the hamper and goes into the washer. JMHO

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

My mom has had luck getting car grease stains out of my dad’s clothes with Simply Green.

[dannylion]

Resolve carpet cleaner (not the new Resolve stain remover--the carpet cleaner is better).

The Shout stick does a good job if the stain is not too well established. 

[Deleted]

My mom actually swears by something called lestoil. I am not sure what time machine she used to find it, though.

[daisylu]

Feb 20, 2013 14:37:23 GMT -5 whoami said:

Dawn dish soap. Scrub the stain with it and they should come out. Front and back of the stain. 

[The Captain]

Feb 20, 2013 15:15:40 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Feb 20, 2013 14:37:23 GMT -5 whoami said:

Dawn dish soap. Scrub the stain with it and they should come out. Front and back of the stain. 

[swamp]

Feb 20, 2013 14:56:19 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

My mom actually swears by something called lestoil. I am not sure what time machine she used to find it, though.

the walmart time machine. 

[Deleted]

Feb 20, 2013 15:26:38 GMT -5 swamp said:

Feb 20, 2013 14:56:19 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

My mom actually swears by something called lestoil. I am not sure what time machine she used to find it, though.

the walmart time machine. 

noooooooooooo... say it ain't so, Mom.  Anything but that!

[Deleted]

If all else fails, try mineral spirits. It's my go-to problem solver.

There's also a product called Tech Stain Remover. You can buy it online, and their website also shows places that carry it. I've used Tech to get blood and wine out of carpets, 25 years' worth of nicotine stains out of the upholstery on a velvet chair, can't remember what all else. 

[Tiny]

I've got some experience cleaning vintage tableclothes.  Ones that have gravy, coffee, wine, who knows what stains...  there are some stains you aren't ever gonna get out, but it's worth at try...
It really depends on the fabric that's been stained.

1st if you use fabric softner - wash the clothes as usual but DON"T add fabric softner.   Run the clothes thru a second rinse.  If they come out of the second rinse smelling Downy Fresh (or whatever other fabric softner you use) the wash cycle didn't remove all the old fabric softner -- repeat the wash/no fabric softner and double rinse.   Fabric softner coats the fibers of the item it's softening and doesn't wash/rinse away easily.  To treat a stain you need to get rid of the coating of fabric softner first.  Don't dry the items... do the next step..   

2nd.  to a wet/dampened item that stained:  apply either Shout Stick stain remover following the directions on the product OR apply a drop or two of Dawn and rub it into the stained area give it some time to sit (15 or 30 minutes) add water if necessary to keep it wet - rub/scrub the stained area before rinseing the suds out of the item.  

If you used Dawn - rinse out the item under running water - dishwashing liquid creates ALOT of suds - even a small amount you don't want this in your washer - you may get suds lock.  DO NOT use Dawn (or any dishwashing liquid) in your washer - you'll have more suds than your washer can handle. 

Wash the items as usual - again avoid the fabric softner in case you need to repeat the stain removal process a second time.  Let the items dry this time so you can check the status of the stain. 

If you do this twice and the stain doesn't budge - it's probably not ever gonna come out.

(stain removal on vintage/old items is a bit different - you need to be gentler as you may destroy a delicate peice and usually involves soaking the item for up to 10 days before washing.  )

[Peace Of Mind]

I always put Shout or Spray and Wash on grease stains and they always come out.  I've also used the Oxy clean laundry spray for really bad stains and they come out.

[Chocolate Lover]

Dawn works most of the time and I've had great luck spraying regular shout and letting it sit overnight on set stains before I wash it.

[kittensaver]

Feb 20, 2013 15:31:32 GMT -5 @missrigby said:

If all else fails, try mineral spirits. It's my go-to problem solver.

There's also a product called Tech Stain Remover. You can buy it online, and their website also shows places that carry it. I've used Tech to get blood and wine out of carpets, 25 years' worth of nicotine stains out of the upholstery on a velvet chair, can't remember what all else. 

Mineral spirits are very toxic

[Peace Of Mind]

I would use denatured alcohol before I'd use mineral spirits.  And it could take out the color on some fabrics and with some dyes.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Normally, I do use Dawn on my dribbles.  But I've not been able to do my own laundry for almost the last year.  The stains have been washed and dried into the fabric for several cycles now.  In the past, I have never been able to get stains out of shirts that have gone through the dryer once, let alone several times!

Fortunately, most are not horribly expensive shirts.

[Apple]

I've almost always had luck getting stains out with Shout or some other spray, even if they've gone through the dryer--BUT, I dry most things on low heat, so that may help.

[Tiny]

Feb 20, 2013 21:53:24 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Normally, I do use Dawn on my dribbles.  But I've not been able to do my own laundry for almost the last year.  The stains have been washed and dried into the fabric for several cycles now.  In the past, I have never been able to get stains out of shirts that have gone through the dryer once, let alone several times!

Fortunately, most are not horribly expensive shirts.

Depending on the fabric you may still be able to remove the stain - even if it's been washed/dried for several cycles.  You'd be surprised.   I guess the best advice would be if you have dishwashing liquid (even if it's not Dawn - they all have some grease fighters in them) it wouldn't cost you anything but some time to get the stained areas wet and rub in some dishwashing liquid.  If you have some other laundry pre-treatment product on hand - the same thing.  no extra expense involved. Just some of your time the next time you do laundry.    

[Chocolate Lover]

Feb 20, 2013 21:53:24 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Normally, I do use Dawn on my dribbles.  But I've not been able to do my own laundry for almost the last year.  The stains have been washed and dried into the fabric for several cycles now.  In the past, I have never been able to get stains out of shirts that have gone through the dryer once, let alone several times!

Fortunately, most are not horribly expensive shirts.

I've done well with regular old Shout sprayed on and left to sit until I do whatever load of wash it needs to be washed in.

[Malarky]

Fels naptha soap may also take out some of those stains.