Remove Oil Stain from Polyester Fabric

By Matt Oden | Comments | Oil and Wax Stains → Oil | Fabric Stains

It doesn’t matter what kind of oil or grease stain you spill on polyester fabric, it’s possible to get rid of. Since synthetic properties make it less absorbent than natural fabrics, it’s not that hard at all to remove oil stain from polyester fabric.

Polyester is a durable fabric that was highly popular in the 1970s. In recent years, it has begun to make a comeback. While it’s easy to care for, it should still be handled properly. If any kind of oil gets on it, you must follow the proper procedures to restore it.

The process may not be simple either, depending on the amount of oil and the length of time it has been on the polyester.

If the stain is fresh, try to blot out as much of the oil as you can. Use a dry cloth and blot the spilled oil. Try to blot with a clean spot of the towel each time you press down so that none of the oil will smear.

After blotting as much of the stain as you possibly can out of the polyester, follow these guidelines:

Moisten the area with warm water. Get the polyester good and wet, and rub the material together with your fingers while rinsing.
Sprinkle baking soda directly onto the moistened stained area; the idea is to form a paste. Leave it for three hours. The paste should lift the grease from the fabric so that it can be washed out and laundered like usual.
If the stain remains, try using a grease-fighting dishwashing liquid instead of ordinary baking soda. It’s essential that you choose one that contains no bleach, as bleach could discolor the polyester.
Work the liquid detergent into the affected area with a stiff brush. After a few minutes of massaging the fabric, rinse the dishwashing soap off of the garment. Hopefully, some or all of the stain will wash off with it.
If there appears to be no improvement, apply more of the dish soap onto the stain. Let it sit for several minutes. Do not allow the fabric to dry during this time.
Wash the garment in the washing machine as normal with regular laundry detergent.
Do not stick the polyester in the dryer. Allow it to air dry until you are certain that the stain is completely gone.
If the stain remains, repeat these steps.

NOTE: DO NOT use cold water to wash or rinse off the polyester fabric. Cold water could actually make the stain more difficult to remove.

Brush the inside AND outside of polyester fabric. Massaging the stain from both sides makes it easier to get out.

How to Remove Old Oil Stains from Polyester

The older the oil or grease stain is, the harder it’s going to be to remove. Follow these steps to get rid of it:

Spray WD-40 on top of the problem area and leave it for approximately thirty minutes. This will allow it to be treated as a fresh stain.
Rinse the WD-40 off with warm water and create a pre-treatment solution of 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Soak the polyester with this solution for ten to fifteen minutes.
If the stain is large, place the garment in a large container filled with the white vinegar. Add a gallon of lukewarm water in the container.
Rinse off the white vinegar solution from the oil-stained garment with warm water. This process helps to loosen the grease, resulting in lighter stains on the fabric.
Wash the polyester in accordance with the instructions on the cleaning label, and let it air dry.
Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

You can also place a bit of distilled white vinegar to the washer when laundering stained polyester.

Using Lemon Juice to Remove Oil Stain from Polyester

One simple cleaning technique that you might want to try is the lemon juice method. All you have to do is apply lemon juice concentrate and salt (ordinary table suit will do) on the fabric and lay out it out flat in the sun to let it dry. After it has dried, either hand wash the fabric or stick it in the washing machine, as indicated by the instructions on the tag.

Cream of tartar may be used with the lemon juice in place of the salt. Rub in the solution for several minute before placing it outside to dry. Utilize sunlight as much as possible.

Additional Tips for Cleaning Polyester

It’s a good idea to turn a polyester garment inside out before placing it into the washing machine in order to avoid any damage or snags. Also, keep in mind that some polyester fabrics need to be either washed by hand or dry-cleaned. Synthetic garments that are machine washable should be washed in a warm cycle.

If a white piece of polyester clothing gets an oil stain, the best thing to do is soak it overnight in a gallon of warm water with a mild dishwashing detergent mixed in.