Oil out of trousers

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
Post Reply
steveparry
Posts: 95
Joined: 23 Oct 2007, 8:29pm
Location: Bristol

Oil out of trousers

Post by steveparry »

I have black oil marks on the bottom of my cotton cord trousers. On left leg from rubbing crank. Think I tried Vanish bar with little success. Should I try a solvent eg WD40 with tissue to absorb it?
LollyKat
Posts: 3250
Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by LollyKat »

Vanish bar took the oil off my son's white t-shirt but that was nearly 20 years ago - maybe they've changed the formula. You could try one of the citrus oil degreasers, or even just ordinary cooking oil. I now clean any oil off my hands with a little almond oil and a tissue, then finish off with detergent.

If it it from the left crank it may not be oil but a mixture of aluminium and general dirt.
Roadster
Posts: 443
Joined: 26 Jul 2016, 2:12pm
Location: E.Lancs/W.Yorks border

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by Roadster »

Rub Swarfega into the oil stains and leave it to soak in for a while before washing. In order for this method to work well, however, it must be done before washing or even wetting the dry fabric.
san0
Posts: 222
Joined: 9 Aug 2009, 2:26pm
Location: Berkshire

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by san0 »

Vanish doesn't work well, I found that mucoff chain spray cleaner did the trick off my white Lycra panels on my shorts.
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by thirdcrank »

Roadster wrote:Rub Swarfega into the oil stains and leave it to soak in for a while before washing. In order for this method to work well, however, it must be done before washing or even wetting the dry fabric.


I keep a separate tub of clean Swarfega for this type of thing. Otherwise, the larger tub used for hand cleaning can contain the dissolved residues from mucky hands. This is my first resort for oil marks, so long as it's something that won't be damaged with water when the Swarfega is cleaned off.

I can't remember Swarfega failing me.
colin54
Posts: 2529
Joined: 24 Sep 2013, 4:34pm

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by colin54 »

thirdcrank wrote:
so long as it's something that won't be damaged with water when the Swarfega is cleaned off.



I found that out this week, I bought a Paramo Jacket for the winter and it fell off it's hook onto the bike chain leaving a lovely oily mark on

the sleeve ,I gave it a clean with neat Swarfega and rinsed the area , I went out for a rainy ride yesterday and found it had removed all

the waterproofing from that one spot, ironically it didn't remove the oil mark ,possibly due to the waterproofing.

It's always worked before on normal materials,and as Roadster said use it neat on the dry material,then rinse off afterwards
Nu-Fogey
roger
Posts: 176
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 2:14pm

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by roger »

Another Swarfega fan. Has also be successful on chip fat and oven insides - needs must.

Roger.
softlips
Posts: 667
Joined: 12 Dec 2016, 8:51pm

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by softlips »

Nothing seems to get it off my socks.
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20700
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by Vorpal »

I use washing up liquid & stain remover. I use a little water and washing up liquid and scrub it a little. If that doesn't get it all out, I put some Ecover stain remover on it while it's still wet, then wash it on the 'stained' cycle in the washing machine. I check that it has come out, and try again if not (it happens occasionally with white or light things). If you put it in the tumber dryer still stained, the heat will set it & it will likely be there forever more.

p.s. swarfega makes me itch
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Brucey
Posts: 44519
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by Brucey »

oil looks black because it is full of microscopic particles. I reckon the 'stain' is often comprised not of oil, but of these tiny particles, lodged in the fabric.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
old_windbag
Posts: 1869
Joined: 19 Feb 2015, 3:55pm

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by old_windbag »

When I saw the thread title I thought it was an answer to the worlds energy problems. :wink:
JohnW
Posts: 6667
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by JohnW »

Some 'Forumers' will laugh - scoff indeed - at this, but I always have success in removing bicycle related oil marks from fabrics by cleaning with white spirit.

I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just saying what I do.
User avatar
Gattonero
Posts: 3730
Joined: 31 Jan 2016, 1:35pm
Location: London

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by Gattonero »

Swarfega also works on most handlebar tapes to remove grease or the grub that comes up with time (epsecially when the bike is ridden withough gloves/mitts)
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
ambodach
Posts: 1023
Joined: 15 Mar 2011, 6:45pm

Re: Oil out of trousers

Post by ambodach »

I have used WD40 with success. Bit of paper towel under the stain and then gentle use on top. Check somewhere inconspicuous first in case of worse stains.
Post Reply