A grease stain on jeans is a common occurrence, as this is the favorite clothing of many. But you shouldn’t throw the item away right away, because this problem can be dealt with in a matter of minutes.
All kinds of folk and industrial remedies will help with this. The main thing is to know the rules for reducing such spots using one method or another.
In this article we will tell you how to remove a greasy stain on jeans at home.
What to do with fresh contamination?
If the grease stain on your clothing is still fresh, you should remove it as quickly as possible.
You cannot wash jeans right away, since direct contact with water will only fix the fat on the fabric and then it will be difficult to get rid of it. Therefore, it is not advisable to scrub the stain with water.
First of all, lay out the denim item on a flat surface and blot the dirt with a paper napkin . Then the mark is treated with a clean white cloth (a colored cloth can fade and paint over this area).
After this, soak the item in warm water for a couple of hours, adding a little vinegar (this will prevent the fabric from fading).
If you have gasoline on hand, you can immediately apply it to the dirt and sprinkle it with talcum powder . The latter absorbs fat well. And only then wash the jeans by hand or machine.
We remove old traces
To remove grease stains on jeans, you can use various preparations. Refined gasoline is often used. It removes fat well without damaging the tissue. To use it, you need to pour the liquid from the wrong side, placing a white cotton cloth on the outside. After keeping the composition for 10-15 minutes, the clothes are washed with laundry soap and then put into the washing machine. To get rid of the unpleasant odor, add more washing powder and run the double rinse function.
It is permissible to use kerosene instead of gasoline. It is used in a similar way.
You can remove oil stains on jeans using ammonia. To do this, take 1 glass of warm water and add 1 tbsp. the drug and dishwashing detergent are mixed. The resulting solution is used to treat jeans, leave for about 1 hour, and then wash by hand or in a machine.
There is another recipe for using ammonia, which has a powerful effect. It can be used to remove old grease and oil stains. To prepare the cleaning solution, take 0.5 tsp. table salt and 3 tbsp. ammonia. The resulting composition is thoroughly treated with dirt, left for 15-20 minutes, and then machine washed at 60°C.
The next remedy for an old grease stain on jeans is a mixture of turpentine and ethyl alcohol. Both components are combined in equal proportions, and then the fabric is processed. You need to soak clothes with this solution for 2-3 hours. Then the pants are rinsed in the washing machine. To increase efficiency, you can add laundry soap shavings to the solution. This composition helps remove oil stains that have appeared for a long time. The product is used in a similar way to a solution of turpentine and alcohol.
Detailed washing instructions and recipes
After urgently removing most of the fat from your jeans, you can begin to more thoroughly remove the stain using one of the methods listed below. Only then is it permissible to wash it in a machine or by hand.
Recommendations for main wash:
- first remove the contents from the pockets and fasten the product with all the locks and rivets;
- turn the item inside out;
- use washing powder without bleach, but it is better to use gels for colored items;
- set the washing mode at a temperature not exceeding 40 ᵒC, which will prevent shedding and shrinkage of the product;
- It is unacceptable to set the spin cycle at high speeds - 700-800 is enough.
Drying jeans in automatic mode and on a radiator is not recommended, which is guaranteed to lead to their deformation. Optimal drying is at room temperature.
Can be hung in fresh air, but protected from direct sunlight. It is advisable not to wait for the trousers to dry completely, but to take them off slightly damp and iron them.
Dishwashing liquid
Regular dishwashing detergent effectively removes greasy stains. Apply it in a small amount to the dirt and lightly moisten it with water to create foam.
Rub lightly with a brush or cloth. Continue in this manner until the stain disappears. Only then are they machine washed.
There is no need to intensively rub the greasy stain - this will only worsen the problem.
Glycerol
Grease stains on jeans come from different origins. So, after oil canned food, glycerin will help, it is applied to the mark and left .
The exposure time can be any, since this substance dissolves in water without problems. The effect can be enhanced by adding ammonia to glycerin (mix in a 1:2 ratio).
Petrol
If it was not possible to immediately deal with a greasy stain caused by negligence, then gasoline will come to the rescue; you will need a little of it .
Apply to the problem area and wait for 10 minutes. Then rinse with warm water and wash without delay.
If you plan to wash in an automatic machine, then set an additional rinse mode. An alternative to gasoline is solid oil or kerosene.
Ammonia
There will be no trace left on the jeans if you remove the greasy stain with this method: prepare a solution from laundry soap (200 g in the form of shavings), turpentine (10 ml) and ammonia (3-5 drops) .
The resulting liquid is used to treat the contamination and leave for a quarter of an hour. Next, wash off with water and wash in the washing machine.
Light colored trousers can be restored using pure ammonia . To do this, drip it onto a cotton pad and soak the stain with it. After this, put it in the washing machine for subsequent washing.
Turpentine
Turpentine is an aggressive substance, so work with it carefully so as not to spoil the fabric.
To clean, soak a cotton swab in a small amount of the product and treat the contaminated area. After the turpentine has been absorbed, the jeans are machine washed.
Salt
Another option with salt, which can easily cope with greasy stains. To do this, first sprinkle it with table salt and leave for 3-4 hours .
Next, make a saline solution: dissolve 1 tbsp. l. salt in a liter of water. The part of the fabric where the greasy stain is located is soaked in it for 8-9 hours.
Chalk and other powders
Powdered products have good adsorbing ability:
- chalk;
- dry mustard;
- dentifrice;
- starch;
- soda;
- salt;
- baby powder (talc).
Sprinkle any of these products onto the oil stain and cover with a paper towel or clean cloth. They go over the top with a hot iron. As a result, excess fat is absorbed into the paper (fabric).
Potato
An effective folk remedy against oil stains is raw potatoes. They grate it on a fine grater and apply the pulp onto the oil trail . After 30 minutes, remove and clean the fabric with a crust of stale black bread.
Instead of fresh tubers, you can use potato starch. The powder is diluted in water until a creamy consistency is obtained. Apply the mixture onto the greasy mark in a thick layer and leave for at least 40 minutes. Only then do they wash the jeans.
Soda
Make a soda paste by combining soda with slightly heated water . Treat the oily stain with the resulting thick mixture using a toothbrush. 2 hours after this you can start the main wash.
Vinegar
Every housewife has white vinegar on hand. Moisten a cloth with it and blot the dirt on the product. Even old greasy stains can be removed in this way.
Before using vinegar, first carry out a compatibility test: drop a little onto the fabric (where it will not be noticeable) and make sure that it does not discolor. If this does not happen, then you can use this cleansing option.
Removing fresh stains
If the oil trace has recently formed, you can deal with it at home in various ways.
Mechanical (without the use of cleaning agents)
The mechanical method is one of the simplest and most accessible. You need to do this:
- The jeans are removed, turned inside out and placed on an ironing board.
- The greasy formation is covered with a folded paper sheet (towel, newspaper) from the front and back sides. To enhance the effect, you can pour tooth powder, starch, talc or crushed chalk under it.
- The iron is heated to medium temperature and gently moved with its sole along the top sheet. When the paper is saturated with oil, it is changed.
Chemical (industrial products)
You can remove a fresh greasy stain on jeans using industrial household chemicals. Several categories of detergents are suitable for this purpose:
Universal stain removers of different types:
- Powder and liquid, for example: Sarma Active 5 in 1, Astonish OXY PLUS, Vanish OXI Action. First, they are added to the basin for soaking, and then to the machine along with the washing powder.
- Oxygen stain remover pencils, such as: Faberlic (Edelstar), Meine Liebe. The oil mark on the jeans is moistened and then rubbed with cleaner. After 10 minutes, the product is washed off and the result is assessed. If the contamination cannot be completely removed, the process is repeated (up to 3 times).
- Dry aerosol Amvay PreWash Spray. It is sprayed onto the contaminated area and, without rinsing off, left on it until washing.
- Antipyatin soap. Used to remove stains, including oil stains, during soaking and hand washing.
When purchasing a stain remover, you should make sure that it is suitable for colored fabrics. In addition, powder and liquid products should work in warm water, since denim, especially natural, tends to shed and shrink, so hot water is contraindicated for it.
Folk recipes
Household detergents and cleaners will help deal with greasy stains on denim:
- Dishwashing gel. The greasy blot is moistened, and then a cleaner is rubbed into it. To achieve a better result, the gel is diluted in half with alcohol (vodka). The composition is left for half an hour.
- Laundry soap. The bar is moistened with water and the wet cloth is generously soaped. To prevent the soap from drying out, cover the treated area with a plastic bag and wait 10-12 hours.
- To speed up the process, sprinkle the soaped area thickly with granulated sugar and rub it with a clothes brush. This product should cope with fat in half an hour.
- Shampoo (preferably with tar) for oily hair. The product is rubbed into the fabric and left for an hour and a half.
- Toothpaste. It is applied to soiled denim and left for half an hour.
A good alternative to store-bought formulations are folk remedies. They are less aggressive, are cheap, and cope with fresh stains no worse than their industrial counterparts. Here are examples of the most effective cleaners:
- Black bread. Cut a piece of crumb from the loaf and, placing it on the fatty mark, press it tightly with your hand. The bread absorbs the oil almost completely.
- Potato chips. Grate the peeled tuber on a fine grater. The resulting slurry is applied to the dirt from the reverse side. After half an hour, the remaining chips are removed with a dry bread crust.
- Sweetener. The tablets are dissolved in a small amount of hot water. The liquid is poured over the greasy mark. After 20 minutes, the result is assessed.
- A mixture of ethyl alcohol and table salt. The substances are combined and stirred to a paste. It is applied to the soiled cloth for 2-3 hours.
- "Cola." Carbonated water is poured into a small container and the area of the trousers that needs cleaning is immersed in it for 4 hours. Then rinsed with clean water.
Treated jeans must be washed completely and the result assessed after drying. If it does not meet expectations, you should try more potent substances.
This may be useful: How to quickly dry jeans.
Which stain removers are suitable for this case?
Now on the shelves of hardware stores there is a wide range of household chemicals for removing stains from various clothes.
The most popular are worth highlighting:
- Fairy is a synthetic liquid detergent commonly used for washing dishes.
Works well even on old greasy stains. Apply a small amount of it to the dirt and rub in with your finger. After 10-15 minutes, wash off with clean water. To avoid white streaks, wash the jeans in the machine and rinse twice. The cost of a standard 900 ml bottle is 160-180 rubles. - Antipyatin - sold in the form of soap. Wash the soiled item using it. Then soap the stain and wait 20 minutes. After this, they wash it one more time. The price of a bar of soap is from 40 rubles.
- Various liquid stain removers - the most common brands: Sarma, ACE Oxi Magic, BOS+, Persil, Vanish, Ushasty Nyan, Sorti and others. They are good at removing oily stains from denim. Apply one of these products to the stain and wash it off after 30 minutes, then wash it.
Before using household chemicals, it is recommended to read the attached instructions.
Removal methods
The products listed below for removing grease stains from jeans can be found in almost any home; replace them with analogues if necessary. They allow you to cheaply and quickly get rid of dirt and return things to a neat appearance. These include:
- laundry (baby) soap;
- paper towels;
- toothpaste (powder);
- dishwashing gel;
- gasoline (kerosene, turpentine);
- grated potatoes;
- ammonia.
We will describe in detail how to properly remove stains from jeans using the above mentioned products.
Laundry soap
The old “old-fashioned” way of dealing with fresh and old stains, and also quite inexpensive, unlike special stain removers. How to remove a grease stain from jeans using soap? The oil blot should be wetted with water, soaped, and lightly rubbed with a cloth. Leave to eat away the stain for 20-60 minutes, rinse.
You can resort to a simple method: soap the area, leave for half an hour, and then put the pants in the washing machine, wash as usual at a temperature of 30 degrees and a spin speed of 800 rpm.
Instead of regular laundry soap, you can use products like Antipyatin or soap for washing children's clothes. They will also help remove greasy marks, fresh and old greasy stains. These products are not much different from ordinary laundry soap; they only have a less pungent odor, are less aggressive and harmful to fabric, and sometimes contain fragrances. The greasy stain is soaped, washed, you can leave the foam for 20 minutes, then rinse off. If the blot remains, the procedure is repeated.
To find out whether the contaminated area has been completely washed, you should wait until the fabric is completely dry. It is not always possible to reliably determine cleanliness on wet clothes.
Paper towel
In the case when you notice a greasy stain immediately, it makes sense to blot it with a napkin or paper towel. They will absorb some of the oil, preventing it from penetrating deep into the fibers of the fabric, thereby facilitating the task of further restoring the appearance of the jeans. If there are old stains, this method is useless.
Toothpaste
A very simple method that does not require the purchase of expensive stain removers or powders. Toothpaste is applied in a layer of medium thickness to the stain, then left for half an hour and washed off. The product is then subject to normal washing. It will be better if you have tooth powder, as it absorbs oil well. If it is not available, it is recommended to take regular toothpaste, but not in gel form.
You can use chalk instead. It is turned into powder and applied to the greasy spot. When the chalk absorbs the fat, it is brushed off and the product is washed in an automatic washing machine.
Dishwashing liquid
How to remove a greasy stain from jeans without purchasing special powders and chemical removers? Take regular dishwashing detergent, which can be found in any kitchen. The gel is applied to the greasy area and left for 30 minutes. There is no need to rub or foam the product. After the fabric is rinsed, the pants are washed as usual. In a similar way, you can try to remove old or fresh traces of fatty foods.
Try to help your jeans right away. The less time has passed since the oily stain appeared, the easier it will be to get rid of it.
Gasoline
Refined gasoline also helps fight greasy stains and allows you to remove old, fresh grease. If you have kerosene or grease or turpentine on hand, they can also be used to remove oil marks. A few drops of the substance are applied to the stained area, left for 10 minutes and washed off. Rubbing the fabric is not recommended, as there is a risk of damaging it. Regular washing of the product will help eliminate the smell of gasoline or strong-smelling liquid.
Grated potatoes
Grate 1 medium-sized potato on a fine grater and spread the pulp onto the stain on the wrong side of the jeans. After 30 minutes, the composition must be removed by scraping off with a spoon or a crust of bread. At the end, the pants need to be washed.
How to remove a grease stain on jeans if there are no potatoes? Starch is used instead. It is mixed with water until a homogeneous paste is obtained, which is spread on the oily mark in a thick layer. The product is left to act for 20-40 minutes, washed off, and the pants are washed in an automatic machine.
Ammonia
Another substance of chemical origin, suitable for removing complex greasy stains of various ages. Ammonia is poured onto a cotton pad and soaked into the greasy area. In order to achieve the best effect, you can leave it for 1 hour. Afterwards, the pants need to be washed as usual.
Use ammonia to remove grease stains only on light-colored, white, or partially bleached jeans. This will protect you from damaging things.
Adviсe
To ensure that jeans retain their presentable appearance even after removing grease stains, it is recommended to adhere to a number of care rules:
When removing grease stains, do not use cold water;- the product is first cleaned of dust;
- do not rub the stain too much, so as not to damage the fabric and not to increase the area of the stain;
- detergents with bleaching properties are used exclusively for white jeans;
- if the contamination is minor, then use a pipette to apply a liquid cleaning agent to it;
- Do not apply too thick a layer of cleaning composition to a greasy stain, as this will lead to discoloration of the fabric;
- It is unacceptable to clean oil traces with a solvent;
- It is not advisable to cover only the greasy stain with salt - it will roll into balls upon contact with oil, but there will be no effect.
When working with chemical stain removers, wear rubber gloves.
Method 3: Dishwashing Soap
Ordinary household chemicals effectively combat fresh fat. In order to remove dirt, just apply a little dishwashing detergent to the problem area. First, you need to spread a couple of drops of gel over the stain, and then apply a little water (until foam forms) and lightly rub the fabric with a cloth. The procedure is carried out until the contamination disappears. The jeans should then be washed in the machine.
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Advice Miss Clean magazine has delved into the issue of removing grease stains in detail and recommends being as careful as possible when removing ear stains. Our magazine recommends not trying to scrub stains vigorously, as this will only ruin your jeans. We recommend lightly rubbing the problem area so that the component is better absorbed into the fat.
