Stains are a pain, in general. However, grease stains are certainly some of the worst to get rid of. If you are in a hurry and have to eat on the go, a slice of pizza can cause a stubborn, tough grease stain. You have probably experienced this before and wondered if you will ever be able to get rid of that stain and enjoy your favourite jeans again.
There is no reason to worry though, grease stains can be removed in a few simple steps by only using items and products you most probably already have at home. Keep reading to find out what to do in order to remove those horrible grease stains and keep enjoying your favourite foods without fearing ruining your jeans.
Generally, it is best to clean grease stains as soon as possible. If you can start treating the stain as soon as it occurs, go for it. The reason for that is, that the longer the grease stain sits in the fabric and dries, the harder it will be to remove.
If you are outside when the accident happens, you can put some salt on the stain. Just make sure to treat your jeans as soon as you get home, instead of leaving them in the hamper where they would sit overnight (this would allow the grease to soak deeper in the fibres of your jeans). It is best to apply some stain-gel or spot treatment, let it sit overnight and wash them in the morning.
You will need
- Toothbrush
- Paper towels
- Mild dish soap
- Baking soda
How to get rid of the grease stain:
1. Dab the stain – Before you begin the cleaning process, always grab a paper towel and press on the stain. Do not rub it in, in order to prevent it from spreading further. By dabbing it, you will soak up any excess oil or grease that might seep into the denim. By doing this, you will reduce the oil in the stain and will eventually make it easier to remove.
2. Treat the stain with baking soda – Sprinkle the whole stain with some baking soda and allow it to sit for a few hours. Baking soda has amazing absorbent abilities and will eventually soak up the oil and lift any grease that you were not able to soak up by dabbing the stain with a paper towel.
Once a few hours have passed, grab your vacuum cleaner and remove the excess baking soda. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner laying around, you can use a brush to get rid of the baking soda.
3. Soap, water and toothbrush – Use a little bit of mild dish soap directly on the stain. Dishwashing liquid is better in that case because of its degreasing properties and will break down the oily residue of the stain. Apply some directly on the stained area, gently rub it with your fingers, grab an old toothbrush or a sponge and start scrubbing the stain gently. Keep doing that for 2-3 minutes, then rinse off your jeans and throw them in the washing machine.
For extra power, you can use a colour-safe laundry booster.
4. Always air-dry – Usually, it takes multiple tries to get rid of a grease stain. If you throw it in the dryer after the first try, it is possible that the heat will set the stain deeper into the fabric and make it extremely hard to remove. Your best option is to avoid using the dryer and simply air-dry the jeans. That way you will be able to see if the stain is gone.
5. Check and repeat – A stubborn grease stain. If you can still see it, repeat the steps above (or the soap and water one only) and dry again. Keep repeating until there is no sign of the stain.
Extra tips:
• If the baking soda and dish soap method doesn’t work so well, you can try another approach. That is – sprinkle baking soda on the stained area as the step above describes. But instead of removing it and continuing with the dish soap step, spray some vinegar on the grease-stained area. The mild reaction between the two will help break down and dissolve any greasy residue.
• If you already washed your jeans in the dryer, don’t panic. You can still get rid of the stain but you will need to take some extra steps in order to get rid of it for good. Repeat the same steps as before but this time add an enzyme-based cleaner as part of the pretreatment of the stain prior to washing.