How to Remove an Olive Oil Stain from Clothing

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Treat olive oil stains right away for easiest stain removal.
Image Credit: dulezidar/iStock/Getty Images

Olive oil dresses up a salad, but an oil stain on clothing is not the best look. Handle a stain carefully and with the proper techniques to get it out without damaging the garment itself.

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Things You'll Need

  • Cornstarch or baby powder

  • Heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent

  • Laundry pretreatment product

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Step 1

Sprinkle a generous coating of cornstarch or baby powder onto a fresh stain. Pat the powder with your fingers to help absorb the oil.

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Step 2

Leave the powder on the oil stain for 15 to 20 minutes. Shake out the garment and brush off any remaining powder with your hands.

Step 3

Cover the spot with heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent. Rub the detergent into the fabric with your fingers.

Step 4

Apply a laundry pretreatment product to the stain on top of the detergent. Wash the clothing in the hottest water safe for the fabric.

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Step 5

Hang or lay flat the item to air-dry after washing. Inspect the dry garment for any traces of the stain. If it's still there, repeat the stain-removal process. Do not put the clothing in the dryer until you are sure the stain is gone.

Warning

The hot air in the dryer will set an oil stain and make it permanent. Air-dry the garment until you are sure all of the oil is gone.

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