How To Remove Oil Stains from Clothing

Chalk

Using chalk to remove oil stains is one of the most popular tips we found, everywhere from Pinterestto Feminiya to Lifehack. The technique is simple:

1. Grab a stick of white chalk.
2. Rub it over the stain in long, strong strokes. Cover every bit of the stain.
3. Allow the chalk to absorb the stain.
4. Brush off the chalk. Repeat steps 2 through 3 if you think you need.
5. Launder your clothing as you normally would.

The Verdict

This strategy works . . . not well. The stain is certainly lighter, enough so that if you don’t know to look for it, you might not notice it, but it’s definitely still there. Rubbing the chalk onto the stain wasn’t as easy as it sounds like it was going to be, and I felt like I was making a mess the entire time. Based on further Internet investigation, it seems like this trick might work better if you use it on a more immediate spill, but not so much for a set-in stain.

Hairspray

Another surprisingly popular, counterintuitive treatment that kept showing up was hairspray! The application is similar to the one used for chalk:

1. Spray hairspray all over the stain.
2. Rinse thoroughly.
3. Allow to air dry.

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