Grease and cooking oil
Short answer: Grease needs washing-up liquid or liquid detergent, not water alone. Water does not dissolve fat, so the stain stays if you only rinse. Treat the stain before the garment dries.
Why water is not enough
Fat and water do not mix. You need a product that can bind the fat to the water, and that is exactly what washing-up liquid and liquid detergent do. If you only rinse with water, it slides over the fat, and the stain stays in the fibre even if it seems to have gone.
Blot the surface dry
Begin by blotting the surface dry with a clean cloth or kitchen roll to lift the loose oil before you add any product. Do not rub, because that spreads the stain over a larger area. The more fat you lift at once, the less the product has to deal with later.
Washing-up liquid straight on the stain
Put washing-up liquid directly on the stain and rub it in lightly with a finger, so the product reaches the fibres. Leave it for about twenty minutes before you rinse and wash. See bamboo loungewear for women if you want soft clothes for home.
If the stain is old
Repeat the treatment and wash at forty degrees if the label allows it. Old grease stains often need two or three rounds, and all of them should be done before the garment dries. Patience works better than force. See bamboo tennis socks for women and bamboo t-shirt for women.
Talc and flour
Talc or flour can soak up excess fat before you treat the stain. Leave the powder for a few minutes and brush it off gently. It does not remove the stain, but it takes some of the fat, so the product has less to work on. Then apply washing-up liquid as described.
Washing at forty degrees
Forty degrees helps with grease, because the warmth makes it easier for the product to loosen the oil. Always read the symbol on the label, so you do not go beyond what the garment tolerates. If it only tolerates thirty, give the product a little longer to work first.
Check the stain before drying
Look at the stain after the garment has been washed, before you hang it up or put it in the tumble dryer. Heat from drying makes traces permanent, which is why the check matters. If a shadow shows, treat it again with washing-up liquid while the fabric is damp.
Cooking oil in daily life
Oil and fat easily land on clothes while cooking, and the stain can look dark on light fabric. You need nothing special, because washing-up liquid usually stands by the sink. It is practical to treat the stain at once, when you are in the kitchen anyway.
A simple routine
When fat lands on a garment, blot, add product and let it work before you do anything else. After that the garment can go in the machine. With a fixed routine the stain stays a small problem, and your clothes look cared for over a longer time.
Frequently asked questions
Does talc or flour help
It soaks up excess fat before treatment. It does not remove the stain, so you still need washing-up liquid or liquid detergent afterwards, left to work for about twenty minutes.
Can you wash hotter for grease
Forty degrees helps with grease. Check the symbol on the label, so you do not wash hotter than the garment tolerates, and always treat the stain with product before the machine.
What if the stain shows after washing
Treat it again before the garment dries. Heat from drying makes fat permanent, so look for a shadow after the wash and repeat the washing-up liquid treatment if needed.
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