Blot off the excess oil, sprinkle the mark with bicarbonate of soda or cornflour to soak up what is left, then work in a few drops of washing-up liquid and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and wash at the warmest temperature the care label allows, using a biological detergent. Check the stain has gone before drying, because heat can fix grease into the fabric.
Grease stains are stubborn for a simple reason: oil and water do not mix, so water alone just runs off them. The trick is to absorb the excess, then use something that grips oil and lets water carry it away. This guide is part of our main advice on fresh, clean laundry in the UK.
Removing a Fresh Grease Stain, Step by Step
- Blot, do not rub. Press kitchen roll onto the mark, working from the outside in, until no more oil transfers. Rubbing pushes grease deeper and spreads it.
- Absorb what is left. Cover the stain with bicarbonate of soda or cornflour, leave it for 30 minutes, then brush it off.
- Apply washing-up liquid. It is made to break down cooking grease. Work a few drops gently into both sides of the fabric with your fingers or a soft toothbrush.
- Leave it to work for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Rinse with warm water from the back of the fabric, so the oil is pushed out rather than through.
- Wash as normal at the warmest temperature the label allows, with a biological detergent.
- Air dry and check. If any shadow remains, repeat before it goes anywhere near a dryer or iron.
Different Greases Need Slightly Different Treatment
| Type of grease | Best approach |
|---|---|
| Cooking oil, butter, salad dressing | The method above works well; washing-up liquid is the key step |
| Make-up, lipstick and sun cream | Oil plus pigment: washing-up liquid first, then a stain remover on any colour left behind |
| Collar and cuff grime | Built-up body oils: rub in liquid biological detergent and leave for 30 minutes before washing |
| Bike chain or motor oil | Heavy grease: use a solvent-based stain remover or degreaser made for fabric, test on a hidden seam first and work in a ventilated room |
| Candle wax | Let it harden, scrape off what you can, then treat the oily mark left behind as above |
Collar and cuff marks often turn yellow on white shirts over time. Our guide to removing yellow stains from white clothes covers that build-up in more detail.
What If the Stain Has Already Been Dried?
A grease mark that has been through a tumble dryer or under an iron is harder to shift, but often not impossible.
- Apply washing-up liquid again and leave it for longer, up to an hour.
- Soak the garment overnight in warm water with a scoop of biological detergent.
- Wash again, then air dry and check. Set-in grease sometimes needs two or three rounds.
If you want to compare household tricks for other marks too, Which? has tested a range of readers' stain-removal tips and explains the science behind the results in How to get rid of common stains.
Delicate and Dry-Clean-Only Fabrics
Silk, wool, velvet and anything labelled dry clean only should not be soaked in hot water or scrubbed. Blot the oil, dust on a little cornflour to absorb it, and take the item to a dry cleaner as soon as possible. Tell them it is an oil stain, as that affects how they treat it.
Oily Laundry and Tumble Dryer Fires
A Rare but Real Risk
UK fire services have repeatedly warned that tea towels, tablecloths and cloths contaminated with cooking or massage oil can slowly heat up and catch fire after tumble drying, sometimes while sitting folded in a basket. Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue traced one fire to a tea towel splattered with cooking oil. Wash oily items hot, at 60°C where the label allows, so the oil is fully removed; always let the dryer finish its cool-down cycle; and spread warm laundry out rather than piling it up.
Shop Laundry Care
Detergents, stain removers and fabric care for everyday spills and splashes.
Shop Laundry CareFrequently Asked Questions
Does washing-up liquid remove grease from clothes?
Yes. It is designed to break down grease and is one of the most effective household options for fresh oil stains. Work it in, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse and wash.
Does bicarbonate of soda get grease out of clothes?
It absorbs excess oil, which makes the next step easier, but it rarely removes a grease stain on its own. Follow it with washing-up liquid.
Can you get grease out after clothes have been dried?
Often, yes. Re-treat with washing-up liquid, soak overnight in warm water with biological detergent and wash again. It may take more than one attempt.
Does vinegar remove grease stains?
Not well. Vinegar is acidic and better suited to limescale. Grease needs a surfactant such as washing-up liquid or detergent.
Sources: Which?, How to get rid of common stains; Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service; Shropshire and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Services, tumble dryer oil residue warnings.