Getting oil stains on clothing is a big pain and can cause a lot of problems and stress. Trust me, I know! I've had to deal with it many times and it has ruined several pieces of clothing and caused me to have to take apart and recut new parts of many more items.
A good Dry-cleaner can take care of most stains but sometimes you don’t have the time or money to take it to the dry cleaners so this is an at home treatment you can do before resorting to a dry cleaner.
Working with Industrial Sewing machines that sit in a bed of oil means that oil stains happen sometimes no matter how careful you are. So I’ve tried several different ways to get the clothing clean again and this is by far the most effective method. I've purchased lots of different stain removers from the supermarket and tested them against this method and this way wins hands down.
It also works for food oils, my Dad had a new Christmas Vest I had made, he wore once and then on the second time wearing it butter chicken got spilt all over it. My Mum thought the vest was goner until I told her about this technique and it worked perfectly.
What I also love about it is that most of the things you need are likely to be in your cupboard and garage already.
Stain Removal Method
What you'll need
WD-40
Baking soda
Dishwasher liquid
A plate or something flat and plastic (could use a container lid that is heading into the recycling)
Plastic - could be a bag or icecream container lid
Cotton bud
Spoon
How to do it
Put some plastic underneath the stain on the inside of the garment
Spray some WD-40 on your plate or flat plastic
Use a cotton bud to dab WD-40 on to the stain
Quickly pile on baking soda using the spoon- be generous with the baking soda as it will soak up the stain
Leave this to sit for 30-60 minutes
Add dishwashing soap on top of the baking soda and mix into a paste
Wash the garment in the washing machine as per usual and dry normally
This should do the trick, if it is an old set in stain it might need a second treatment