How to Remove Cooking Oil from Coloured Clothes

If you don't have a Vanish stain removal product to hand then don't worry, these are some measures to help you manage in the meantime. To tackle cooking oil stains, pre-treat clothes with one of these DIY tips provided below:

Our top oil & grease stain removal tip is to attack the stain rapidly! Oil & Grease stains will become more difficult to remove later if you don't treat them immediately as they start to set into the fabric.

Do not add water to the oil stain. With other stain it might be recommended to add water to the stain, however oils themselves are hydrophobic (repels water molecules). Adding water can enlarge the size of the stain, making it more pronounced. Only add water to the stain if you are treating it with Vanish.

Remove/ soak up the excess oil with anything absorbent, for example:

A clean paper towel

A clean cloth

A dull knife or spoon

A clean, dry sponge

Baby powder

Corn starch

Dab the oil stain for a few minutes to try and soak up the excess oil. Be careful not to spread the stain. Scrape/ brush off the excess.

To stop the stain spreading to the other side of your garment, place a piece of cardboard inside the garment, behind the cooking oil stain. If you don’t have any spare cardboard lying around, try using a plastic bag, this way you can limit the spread of the stain.

Cooking Oil Stain Prevention Tips

Heated cooking oil sizzling away in the pan can spit and travel a surprising distance. While it might not be practical to wear an apron for quick meals, for larger family cooking they might be more suited. Cooking on a high temperature can also lead to excess oil stains as the oil jumps out the pan.

Work from outside-in when blotting the stain. Always work your way into the center of the stain and not from the center-outward as this can spread the stain further.   

As far as prevention, oil stains are hard to avoid, especially if you’re an avid cook. What you can do though is reduce the severity of the stain by acting fast and removing the excess cooking oil from the stained area.

Using Vanish, and following our top tips will give you the best chances of removing the cooking oil stain, and saving your beloved garment. Cooking oil on clothing is no longer, a recipe for disaster, so don’t let the fear of stains prevent you from having fun in the kitchen.