Oil stains on clothing

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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David2504
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Joined: 11 Mar 2021, 5:29pm

Oil stains on clothing

Post by David2504 »

Any tips on how to remove dirty oil stain from clothing (polyester fabric) gratefully received. Thanks in advance.
gbnz
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by gbnz »

David2504 wrote: 31 Mar 2023, 5:00pm Any tips on how to remove dirty oil stain from clothing gratefully received. Thanks in advance.
Have to admit I purely tend to use a bar of soap applied directly and if the fabric is tough enough, a nail brush. Seems' to work. Helps if the stains have only picked up that day

soci
ANTONISH
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by ANTONISH »

Rub some "Swarfega " into the stain and then wash the garment in the usual way.
thirdcrank
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by thirdcrank »

I'd recommend clean Swarfega

If you keep a tub of Swarfega for cleaning dirty, oily hands, it will probably have some of that muck dissolved in it.

I think it's worth keeping a small tub exclusively for cleaning fabrics as described above to avoid adding more muck

I'm pretty sure this has been discussed before
eileithyia
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by eileithyia »

Swarfega, worked into the fabric then wash as normal.
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simonineaston
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by simonineaston »

In my own experience, even the worst fowling has succumbed to gentle use of one or more of these three...
* household detergent
* spray-on fabric stain remover
* & occasionally, very cautious application of white spirit, using a toothbrush.
Followed by a wash in the machine to rinse away the above. The stain remover I've had most success with is Wizz Oxi plus (I kid you not!). I must have had the same aerosol for over a decade, however it's nearly empty now... however, this regime has mostly been followed on heavy-ish polycottons. I'd advise lots of caution if attempting on fleece type fabrics - less mechanical action, for sure. I think you'll be alright to apply detergent fairly heavily, mind. Don't quote me... try a small sample first to avoid disappointment.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
PH
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by PH »

Lots of options, some work better on some fabrics and some oils than others, a couple of pointers rather than specific method recommendations.
Do not use hot water at any point before you're certain you've removed all the oil that's going to come out. Hot water, probably any sort of heat, is likely to bind the oil to the threads.
If the garment has any sort of DWP coating, you're not likely to remove the oil without removing that, and having done such a thorough job of stripping it, any re-proofing will struggle to adhere.
If the oil hasn't dried out, use some powder on it to try and absorb some, I use bicarbonate of soda, I've also seen talc recommended. Sprinkle it on, leave for half an hour, brush or shake off. Even if you think the oil has dried, there's nothing to lose by trying this.
If rinsing under a tap, do so from the underside, you want to wash the oil out not in.

I've had reasonable success on some garments with some oils by using a small amount of washing up liquid and bicarbonate of soda. Mixed into a paste and rubbed in with a finger, rinsed from the inner side under a tap, repeated a couple of times, then a detergent pre-soak and a cool washing machine wash.
Good luck
bikepacker
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by bikepacker »

ANTONISH wrote: 31 Mar 2023, 5:57pm Rub some "Swarfega " into the stain and then wash the garment in the usual way.
+1
There is your way. There is my way. But there is no "the way".
Norman H
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by Norman H »

Removing the oil is the easy part, all of the above solutions will work. The difficulty is removing the dark stain which is caused by wear debris from whatever the oil has been used to lubricate. Typically more than one conventional washing cycle is required.

It may seem counter intuitive but fats and oils are also very effective at removing oil stains. Use olive oil or sunflower oil, even lard or butter will work. Rub it in with your fingers and then remove by conventional washing cycles.

The same method works well for removing oil based paint stains from your hands. Use Johnsons baby oil rubbed into into the paint and then washed off with soap and water. It's much kinder on the hands than using solvents.
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simonineaston
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by simonineaston »

I long since gave up wearing light coloured trousers, for that every reason. Sharp-dressed followers of UK fashion will of course recall the London-based post-Clash beat group, Big Audio Dynamite, the lads always keen to lead a trend and their preference for white Lee jeans... I flirted with the fashion but it did not mix with cycle use and that was about the last time light coloured trouserwear occupied space in the wardrobe shelves!
BAD - looking sharp
BAD - looking sharp
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
David2504
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Re: Oil stains on clothing

Post by David2504 »

Thanks for replies which are most helpful
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