How To Remove Car Grease Stains From Clothing

If you’ve ever been around a car, whether you’ve worked on one, at some point, you end up with the unsightly black splotch on your clothing.

You don’t know when it happened, but it’s car grease, and it’s from your car.

Now you need to know how to remove car grease stains from clothing.

The good news is – it’s not impossible!

The sooner you tackle the car grease stain, the easier it will be to remove, using only a few everyday household items that you probably already have on hand.

Are you ready to learn some effective options?

Let’s get started!

Items You’ll Need

In this section, we’ll list and discuss the items you’ll need to remove car grease stains from clothing.

We’ll provide any alternatives as options for each item, when applicable.

Water, Ammonia
White paper towels, soft cloths, old white towel, or old clean toothbrush
Bucket or washbasin, spray bottle, grater
Liquid dish soap
Laundry stain remover, stain remover, or all-purpose cleaner
Baby powder or cornstarch
WD-40
Shampoo or bar soap (hand bar soap, body bar soap, or laundry bar soap)
Coca-Cola | Hand Cleaner | Aloe Vera Gel | Mechanics Soap

Water, Ammonia

Cold, warm, and cool water are used to rinse away various stain removers, soak stained clothing, and wash clothing after the car grease stain has been removed.

Ammonia is used in place of water to dampen the car grease stain providing additional grease-fighting properties.

White Paper Towels Or Soft Cloths Or Old White Towel Or Old Clean Toothbrush

White paper towels, soft cloths, old clean toothbrush, dry clean cloths, old white towels, spoons, cloths, cardboard, and alternatives are used to soak up excess car grease from the stain, to apply various stain removers, to rinse off various stain removers, to wash, and to dry your clothing, etc. – all at various stages of the stain removal process.

These microfiber cleaning cloths work really well.

Bucket Or Washbasin, Spray Bottle, Grater

A bucket or washbasin is used for soaking car grease-stained clothing in, along with a variety of stain removers.

A spray bottle is used to make and spray various stain removers or stain removing solutions.

A grater is used to grate hand or body bar soap and laundry bar soap for use as a stain remover, as one option.

Liquid Dish Soap

Liquid dish soap is used as a stain remover as it’s an effective car grease stain remover from clothing, especially those known for grease-fighting such as Dawn.

Laundry Stain Remover, Stain Remover, Or All-Purpose Cleaner

Laundry stain removers are laundry pre-treatments specifically effective on tough stains like car grease.

A couple of good laundry stain removers for car grease, which is available on Amazon, are OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover Spray and Shout Advanced Foaming Grease and Oil Stain Remover for Clothes.

Stain removers and all-purpose cleaners, while safe to use on clothing and effective on tough stains like car grease, aren’t laundry pre-treatments and must be completely rinsed off before washing.

A few good stain remover and all-purpose cleaners, also available on Amazon, and used like laundry pre-treatment sprays or solutions (but must be rinsed before washing) are Carbona Stain Devils #7, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, and Mean Green Super Strength Multi-Surface Cleaner & Degreaser | Concentrated Formula.

Baby Powder Or Cornstarch

Baby powder, cornstarch, or one of the alternative absorbent powders, are excellent car grease stain removers at absorbing grease from clothing.

Acceptable alternatives are absorbent powders like baking soda, flour salt, etc.

WD-40

WD-40 is effective at removing car grease from multiple surfaces, including clothing.

Alternatives are Goo Gone and lighter fluid.

WD-40 490043 Multi-Use Lubricant Smart Straw Spray, Goo Gone Original, as well as quite a few lighter fluid options, such as Zippo 494 Lighter Fluid, are all readily available on Amazon.

Shampoo Or Bar Soap

Shampoo is used as an effective car grease stain remover as well.

Any hand or body bar soap is also used for removing lighter car grease stains if you choose one without any additives, which would interfere with its car grease stain removing abilities.

For more difficult car grease stains, look for the stronger laundry bar soap, which is more effective on this tougher grease.

A great laundry bar soap is Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap and Stain Remover, which is readily available on Amazon.

Coca-Cola | Hand Cleaner | Aloe Vera Gel | Mechanics Soap

Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola (1-2 cans, 2-4 liters, spray bottle) is used as an effective stain remover to remove car grease stains from clothing.
Hand Cleaner: waterless hand cleaner, used by mechanics in garages to get car grease off their hands at work, is also safe for removing car grease from clothing.
Aloe Vera Gel: not only effective at soothing sunburns but also used as an efficient stain remover to remove car grease stains from clothing.
Mechanics Soap: like hand cleaner, but not waterless, mechanics soap is designed not only to remove car grease from mechanics’ hands but also from their clothing – it does require water.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Your regular liquid laundry detergent is used to wash your car grease-stained clothing after the car grease stain is gone.

Step By Step Instructions For How To Remove Car Grease Stains From Clothing

#1 Remove Any Excess Car Grease

It’s important to tackle a car grease stain immediately, or at least as soon as possible.

It’s much easier to remove car grease stains from clothing, or anywhere, when they are fresh or wet, than when they are set-in, old, or dried up.

Using a spoon, plastic spoon, or dull knife, gently scrape off any excess car grease from the stained area.
Blot the car grease stain with a dry clean cloth or white paper towel, applying light pressure to the spot, to soak up any excess car grease.
Just dab at the car grease, DO NOT rub the car grease stain, as rubbing can cause the car grease to push deeper into the fabric or spread.
Work the car grease stain from its outside towards its center, blotting up as much of the car grease as possible, until the car grease stain is mostly dry.
Use a new area of the cloth or paper towels each time you blot to avoid spreading the car grease back onto or further around on the clothing.

#2 Check Your Clothing’s Care Label

Before using any solvents, products, remedies, or laundering solutions on your clothing, make sure you check its care label to see what type of fabric or material it’s made from and what it directs for specific laundering instructions.

This way, you’ll know which stain removers, products, remedies, and laundering solutions should be safe for use on your clothing, as well as which stain removers, products, remedies, and laundering solutions are unsafe and shouldn’t be used on your clothing.

Additionally, the care label should tell you whether you should hand wash, machine wash, or dry clean only, as well as the allowed washing water temperature and drying instructions specific to each article of clothing.

If there is no care label on your clothing or you have any questions as to whether a product is safe for use on your clothing, then always contact the clothing manufacturer or the seller for their advice on how to care for the clothes.

Removing car grease from clothing without following the manufacturer’s recommended directions and guidelines could void any return agreements, if applicable.

#3 Preparing Your Clothing For A Stain Remover, Remedy, Or Laundry Solution

Lay the article of clothing out flat, somewhere it will be able to remain undisturbed for an extended amount of time.
Place an old white towel or cardboard underneath the stained area, between the layers of clothing.

This prevents stain removal efforts from causing the stain to bleed onto the through side of the fabric.

Before using any stain remover, test it on a spot in a hidden area of the clothing item, such as an inner seam, to check for any possible color transference, discoloration, or fabric damage.
Choose one of the stain remover methods listed in steps #4-9.

#4 Stain Remover Liquid Dish Soap (Optional-Choice Of Method)

Liquid dish soap, especially those specifically formulated to fight grease, such as Dawn or Palmolive, is made to cut through and break down grease on your dishes, pots, and pans, but it also works on your clothes with car grease stains.

Using a soft cloth or paper towel, lightly dampen the stain with water or ammonia.

Use ammonia for tougher stains adds additional grease-fighting properties to the process.

Pour a small amount of liquid dish soap on the car grease stain on your clothing item.
Using your fingers, gently rub the liquid dish soap into the car grease stain until the dish soap begins to bubble.
Let the liquid dish soap suds set on the car grease stain for about 5 to 15 minutes.
Use an old clean toothbrush to scrub the foam into the stain until the car grease starts to dissipate.
Optionally, rinse the area thoroughly using a cloth dipped in water to get rid of the suds and then, also optionally, spray the stained area with a vinegar rinse – otherwise, proceed to #7.

If you opt to use a vinegar rinse on the stained area, rinse the area with water first, as vinegar should not be mixed with detergents or soaps since it lessens their effectiveness.

Rinsing the area between using soaps or detergents and a vinegar rinse solves this potential issue.

Vinegar rinse: Mix 1-part vinegar and 2-parts water in a spray bottle and spray the vinegar rinse on the stained area.

Let the vinegar rinse set for a few minutes before rinsing the area thoroughly.

If the car grease stain persists or if you’d rather not use liquid dish soap, choose another stain removing method from steps #5-9.

If the car grease stain is completely gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual.

#5 Stain Remover Laundry Stain Remover Or Stain Remover Products (Optional-Choice Of Method)

There are many laundry stain remover and stain remover products available for purchase, some of which you might already have on hand.

A couple of good laundry stain removers for car grease, which is available on Amazon, are OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover Spray and Shout Advanced Foaming Grease and Oil Stain Remover for Clothes.

General instructions for a laundry stain remover:

Cover the stained area with a generous amount of the laundry stain remover.
Using your fingers, gently work the laundry stain remover into the car grease stain on your clothing item.
Let the laundry stain remover set on the stain for the time listed on the laundry stain remover product’s packaging.
If the car grease stain persists or if you’d rather not use a laundry stain remover, choose another stain removing method from steps #4, 6-9.

Proceed to step #10, Launder, As Usual.

General instructions for an all-purpose cleaner or a stain remover:

Rinse the back of the stain with cold water.
Spray all-purpose cleaner or pour a small amount of stain remover over the car grease stain on your clothing.
Gently work the cleaner or stain remover into the stain using a clean damp paper towel or an absorbent cloth.
Let the cleaner or stain remover set on the car grease stain for a few minutes or follow product label instructions for a length of time.
Rinse the stained area with clean, cold water to remove the all-purpose cleaner or stain remover from your clothing.
If the car grease stain persists or if you’d rather not use an all-purpose cleaner or stain remover, choose another stain removing method from steps #4, 6-9.

If the car grease stain is completely gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual.

#6 Stain Remover Baby Powder Or Cornstarch (Optional-Choice Of Method)

Baby powder or cornstarch, along with an absorbent powder, such as common alternatives baking soda, flour, and salt, are effectively used to soak car grease out of stains on your clothing.

Liberally apply baby powder, cornstarch, or one of the alternatives, on top of the car grease stain on your article of clothing without getting any of the absorbents on the unstained parts of the fabric.
Allow the baby powder or cornstarch to set on the car grease stain anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour.

During this time, you should start to see the absorbent changing color as it begins soaking up the car grease, which will indicate it’s proceeding correctly.

Using a spoon or plastic spoon, gently scrape the powder or cornstarch and grease off your clothing carefully, without getting any on the unstained areas, and dispose of the grease/powder waste.
Repeat #1-3 until the powder no longer changes color, which means it’s no longer soaking up grease.
Squirt a small amount of liquid dish soap onto the stained area and gently work it into the stain with your fingers until it begins to bubble, at which point use an old clean toothbrush to scrub the suds into the stain.
If the car grease stain persists or if you’d rather not use baby powder or cornstarch, choose another stain removing method from steps #4-5, 7-9.

If the car grease stain is completely gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual.

#7 Stain Remover WD-40 (Optional-Choice Of Method)

Another effective car grease stain remover commonly found in many households is WD-40 or alternatives like lighter fluid or Goo-Gone.

WD-40 490043 Multi-Use Lubricant Smart Straw Spray, Goo Gone Original, as well as quite a few lighter fluid options, such as Zippo 494 Lighter Fluid, are all readily available on Amazon.

The lubricating fluid loosens and reactivates the oils in the car grease stain, enabling them to be broken down and removed by a bit of grease-fighting liquid dish soap.

Spray a little WD-40, or an alternative such as lighter fluid or Goo Gone, onto the car grease stain on your article of clothing.
Let the WD-40 set into the car grease stain for 20 to 45 minutes but don’t let it dry out.
Apply a small amount of liquid dish soap onto the car grease-stained area, gently rubbing the soap into the stain with your fingers.
Clean and rinse the area thoroughly with warm water.
If the car grease stain persists or if you’d rather not use WD-40, choose another stain removing method from steps #4-7, 8-9.

If the car grease stain is completely gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual.

#8 Stain Remover Shampoo, Bar Soap, Or Laundry Bar Soap (Optional-Choice Of Method)

Shampoo is designed to take care of body oils, so it makes an effective car grease stain remover as well.

Any hand or body bar soap works well at removing car grease stains if you choose one without any additives, which would interfere with its car grease stain removing abilities.

For more difficult car grease stains, look for the stronger laundry bar soap, which is more effective on this tougher grease.

A great laundry bar soap is Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap and Stain Remover, which is readily available on Amazon.

Using a soft cloth or paper towel, lightly dampen the stain with water or ammonia.

Use ammonia for tougher stains adds additional grease-fighting properties to the process.

Pour a small amount of shampoo on the car grease stain on your clothing item.

Gently rub the bar soap or laundry bar soap back and forth over the car grease stain until enough soap covers the car grease stain.

Grate the bar soap or laundry bar soap and lightly press the resulting powder or fragments into the car grease stain until it’s covered with soap.

Using your fingers, gently rub the shampoo, bar soap, or laundry bar soap into the car grease stain until the shampoo or soap begins to foam.
Use an old clean toothbrush to scrub the foam into the stain until the car grease starts to dissipate.
Optionally, rinse the area thoroughly using a cloth dipped in water to get rid of the suds and then, also optionally, spray the stained area with a vinegar rinse – otherwise, proceed to #6.

If you opt to use a vinegar rinse on the stained area, rinse the area with water first, as vinegar should not be mixed with detergents or soaps since it lessens their effectiveness.

Rinsing the area between using soaps or detergents and a vinegar rinse solves this potential issue.

Vinegar rinse: Mix 1-part vinegar and 2-parts water in a spray bottle and spray the vinegar rinse on the stained area.

Let the vinegar rinse set for a few minutes before rinsing the area thoroughly.

If the car grease stain persists or if you’d rather not use shampoo, bar soap, or laundry bar soap, choose another stain removing method from steps #4-7, 9.

If the car grease stain is completely gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual.

#9 Stain Remover: Additional Techniques (Optional-Choice Of Method)

There are quite a few additional stain removal techniques, tricks, and methods for removing car grease stains from clothing worth briefly mentioning, and they are:

Coca-Cola – Some people swear by Coca-Cola as an effective car grease stain remover from clothing.

Pour 1-2 cans of Coca-Cola into your washing machine, along with your car grease-stained clothing, water, and your regular liquid laundry detergent.
Run the load through a normal wash cycle.

Put car grease-stained clothing in a bucket or washbasin.
Add 2-4 Liters of Coca-Cola and fill the bucket or washbasin with enough water to just cover your clothes.
Let the car grease-stained clothes soak in the Coca-Cola and water overnight.
Wash the car grease-stained clothing the next morning using your regular liquid laundry detergent.

Spray the car grease stain with a little Coca-Cola.
Let the Coca-Cola set on the car grease stain for 5 to 10 minutes.
Rinse the area thoroughly with warm water.
If the stain is gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual, otherwise choose another stain removing method from steps #4-9.

Hand Cleaner – Hand cleaners, mainly used in garages by mechanics to remove grease from their hands during work, are specifically formulated to be mild on your skin while also removing car grease and are safe to use on clothing.

Some great waterless hand cleaners are GOJO Original Formula Hand Cleaner, Goop Hand Cleaner and Laundry Stain Lifter, and Permatex Fast Orange Smooth Lotion Hand Cleaner, all available on Amazon.

Use an old clean toothbrush to gently rub the hand cleaner into car grease-stained area on your clothing.
Let it stand for a couple of minutes to absorb.
If the stain is gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual, otherwise choose another stain removing method from steps #4-9.

Aloe Vera Gel – makes an effective car grease stain remover, in addition to helping soothe sunburns.

Soak the car grease-stained clothing in warm water.
Remove the clothing from the water, place it on a dry towel, and pat it down with a clean towel.
Squirt some aloe vera gel onto the car grease stain on your clothing.
Gently scrub the aloe vera gel into the car grease stain with an old clean toothbrush.
Rinse and wash the clothing in warm water, then air-dry or hang dry.
If the stain is gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual, otherwise choose another stain removing method from steps #4-9.

Mechanics Soap – another effective car grease stain remover is mechanics soap, which like hand cleaner, is also safe for clothing, but mechanics soap is not waterless like the hand cleaners previously listed.

A great mechanics soap is Stocker X Heavy Duty Mechanics Hand Soap Cleaner Degreaser-Industrial Strength, found on Amazon.

Apply a small amount of mechanics soap to the car grease stain on your clothing.
Allow the mechanic’s soap to set on the stain for about 15 to 30 minutes.
When washing, put the car grease-stained clothing in a separate load from the rest of your clothes.
If the stain is gone, proceed to step #10 Launder As Usual, otherwise choose another stain removing method from steps #4-9.

#10 Launder As Usual

After using any number of stain removers required to have fully removed the car grease stain from your clothing, you’re ready for laundering.

Pro Tip:

You must check to make sure the car grease is completely gone before washing and drying your clothing because the heat from the dryer will set the stain into the fabric, making it much more difficult to remove.

Once your clothing has been pre-treated and is clear of any car grease stains, you are ready to launder it, as usual, taking care to follow any special instructions on its care label.
Separate your car grease-stained clothing from the rest of your laundry – keep it in a separate hamper and wash it in a separate load from household bedding, towels, street clothes, and family laundry.
Add ¼ cup of liquid dish soap, along with your regular liquid laundry detergent, to the washing machine when washing your previously car grease-stained clothing, helping to break down any unseen grease particles.
After washing, check your item once more to make sure the car grease stain is completely gone before placing it in your dryer because the heat from the dryer will just set the stain further, making it more difficult to remove.

Pro Tip:

Avoid using hot water as it will only set the car grease stain further, making it more difficult to remove.

Pro Tip:

A great drying option is to air-dry or hang dry, especially if you are washing your clothing between different stain removal methods.

Commonly Asked Questions

Hot water is helpful at breaking down grease; why is it best to avoid using hot water when removing car grease stains from clothing?

-This is a great question!

There are a few reasons:

Anything hot, like the heat from the dryer or even hot water, can cause the stain to set in further, making it much more difficult, if not almost impossible, to remove.
Hot water can burn your skin, and it’s quite easy to have an accident splashing or spilling hot water around when removing stains.
Hot water can shrink your favorite clothes, even when you’re removing unsightly stains; it happens because the hot water causes the fabric to tighten and make the clothing look smaller.

If a clothing item’s care label says, “dry clean only”, and the dry cleaner returned it without having removed its unsightly car grease stain – what can be done now to get that stain out?

-This is not very surprising since most dry cleaners usually use gentle bleach-free stain removers, which aren’t wonderful at removing car grease and other tough stains.

Most dry cleaners will take the item back and redo it free of charge, but there’s still no guarantee they’ll get the stain out.

Since the item is “dry clean only”, don’t use water on it, so if you want to do it yourself, use a stain remover that doesn’t require water.

Conclusion

Have you enjoyed learning how to remove car grease stains from clothing?

It doesn’t take a lot of effort, product, or money to do it yourself – it just takes knowing what to do and what to use!

All of that is better than having to get rid of your favorite clothing or only wear it for DIY projects.

Make your clothing wearable again!