To get a fresh cooking-grease stain out of washable clothes, blot the excess, pretreat the mark, rinse the pretreatment out and wash according to the care label. Start with a plain white cloth or paper towel. Lift away any loose food, then press the cloth onto the oil without rubbing it across the surrounding fabric. If the label says dry-clean only, take the garment to a cleaner and tell them what spilled. This method is for ordinary food oil on washable clothing. Whirlpool’s guide to grease and oil stains
Pretreat the mark with mild dish soap
If the care label allows washing, spot-test a small amount of mild liquid dish soap on an inside seam. If the fabric tolerates it, gently work enough soap over the mark to cover it. Keep the treatment local and avoid hard scrubbing, especially on a knit that can stretch. Rinse the dish soap out completely before putting the garment in the washing machine. For a commercial stain remover, follow its fabric and contact-time directions. Whirlpool’s dish-soap pretreatment steps
Wash at a temperature the fabric can handle
Wash the garment with laundry detergent according to the care label. The warmest water the label permits may help with grease, but the fabric’s limit comes first. After washing, check the area in good light. A wet shirt can look darker everywhere, which makes it hard to tell whether a darker ring is still there. Air-dry the garment so you can judge the mark once the surrounding fabric is dry. Whirlpool’s washing and line-drying instructions · How to clean the washing machine
Try a fabric-safe pretreatment for an older stain
If the mark remains after drying, check the label of an enzyme-based laundry pretreatment for compatibility with the fabric and follow its directions before washing again. A stain that has already gone through a dryer can take more than one treatment, and some older marks may remain. Check the fabric after each attempt. If the garment is delicate, valuable or changing color during treatment, ask a cleaner before trying anything stronger. Whirlpool’s guidance for old oil stains
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