How to get oil out of satin dress

It's happened to me more times than I care to admit, and I'm betting it's happened to you too: You're wearing one of your favorite silk dresses, feeling snazzy. You look down and—bam—you realize you've somehow managed to get whatever you last ate all over your outfit. Embarrassing. And now your dress is ruined—or at the very least is going to require a pricey trip to the dry cleaner.

How to get oil out of satin dress

Or is it? Danica recently reported that not every item marked "dry clean-only" actually has to be dry-cleaned, and now thanks to designer Allison Sires, I'm starting to rethink my fatalistic attitude toward oil stains as well.

"If you get a greasy stain on silk, sprinkle some baby powder on the stain and let it sit for a half hour or so," Sires recently recommended. "Then shake off the powder. Hopefully it's absorbed the grease, and the stain is gone."

Voila! Easy-peasy. Love this trick. But what if you're not anywhere near a stash of baby powder?

According to "queen of clean" Heloise, artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Sweet 'N Low work just as well. Who knew?

Tai Massimilian is the Marketing and Creative Director at Texas's premier luxury housekeeping company, Highland Park Housekeeping. She oversees all branding and strategy for HPH, which has cleaned over 100K homes using nontoxic and eco-friendly products, approved by Tai. She runs HPH's social media, whose following looks to her for non-toxic cleaning tips, tricks, and how-to's, and she is also the creator of the online course "How To Clean Your House."

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and

Sarah Aguirre

Sarah Aguirre

Sarah Aguirre is a housekeeping expert with over 20 years of experience cleaning residentially and commercially. Over that time, she has been writing about tips and tricks for housekeeping and organizing a home for national publications.

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Updated on 12/14/22

Reviewed by

Rhea Mehta

How to get oil out of satin dress
How to get oil out of satin dress

Reviewed by Rhea Mehta

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Rhea Mehta, PhD, is an award-winning healthcare innovator and toxicologist who for the past decade has worked to empower people to lead healthier lives, starting in their homes. Rhea holds a PhD in Toxicology, with over 15 scientific publications, and a certificate in integrative health coaching. 

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How to get oil out of satin dress
How to get oil out of satin dress

The Spruce / Hilary Allison

In This Article

Expand

  • Recognizing Oil-Based Stains

  • When to Wash

  • Additional Tips For Getting Rid of Oil Stains

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It's the worst feeling—you're enjoying a greasy piece of pizza or adding dressing to your favorite salad, and splash! A new oil stain lands on your clothes. Now, you're left wondering if you need to throw out your favorite shirt.

Oil stains can be difficult to get rid of fully, and the first problem could be that they are difficult to see. You might overlook the stain as it blends in with the color of your clothing, a slightly darkened area on the laundry. Add to this the fact that oil stains can commonly reappear just when you think you've seen the last of them, and you've got a tough stain to deal with.

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Watch Now: How to Remove Cooking and Vegetable Oil Stains

How to Recognize Oil-Based Stains

It's also important to understand what kind of oil-based stain you're dealing with. There are two main types: petroleum-based and vegetable-based.

  • Petroleum-based stains are typically caused by grease, motor oil, makeup, deodorant, and moisturizers.
  • Vegetable-based stains, on the other hand, come from things like cooking oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise, margarine, and butter.

Once you know what type of stain you're dealing with, you're ready to gather your supplies and tackle the pesky little problem.

How Soon Should You Wash an Oil Stain?

To put it simply: as soon as possible. Oil stains are some of the most difficult to remove unless you get to them immediately. If clothing and the oil stain dry, the stain may be set permanently. When you see an oil stain land, act fact, and read on to learn how to remove oil stains from clothing.

The 12 Best Laundry Stain Removers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

How to get oil out of satin dress
How to get oil out of satin dress

Featured Video

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

Cleaning Tools

  • 1 rag or towel

Materials

Cleaning Products

  • 1 teaspoon mild dish soap
  • 1 teaspoon laundry detergent

Instructions

  1. Blot, Blot, Blot

    Once you see the stain, act fast. Grab a paper towel and gently blot to remove as much excess oil as possible. Don't press too hard, as you don't want to press the oil even deeper into the fabric. Light pressure should do the trick.

  2. Choose a Soap and Treat the Stain

    Once you're done blotting your stain, grab your rag or towel and get it damp. Next, choose your soap. For petroleum-based stains, use mild dish soap. For vegetable-based stains, grab your favorite laundry detergent.

    Add a few drops of dish soap or detergent to the towel and gently rub the stain. You don't want to scrub as it may damage the fabric. Instead, use gentle pressure to get small suds going on the fabric. The suds will help break down the oil.

    How to get oil out of satin dress
    How to get oil out of satin dress

    The Spruce / Jorge Gamboa

  3. Launder Your Garment

    Next, you're going to wash your clothes in the warmest water they can stand. The hot water will do a great job at penetrating the fibers and getting into the areas of the fabric that are holding on to the oil. If the fabric absolutely cannot take hot water, wash it in cold like normal, but the hotter, the better.

    How to get oil out of satin dress
    How to get oil out of satin dress

    The Spruce / Jorge Gamboa

  4. Check Stain Once Load Is Finished

    For the moment of truth—when the wash is done, check the stain to see if it's still stuck in the fabric. This step is a little tricky, as oil stains can be hard to spot in wet fabric since they usually just make a dark mark. Do your best to figure out if the oil is really gone, and let the fabric air dry if necessary.

  5. Repeat If Necessary Before Drying

    If some oil still remains, repeat the process above until the stain is gone. do not dry clothes with oil stains in them. This will likely lock the stain into the fabric and create a permanent stain.

    How do you get stains out of satin dresses?

    Use cold water and a dot of hand soap, then rub the cloth together until a lather forms. Blot the stain. Rubbing stains can cause the fibers to break down more quickly, and will set the stain deeper into the fabric. Blotting gently lifts the stain away without damaging the fabric.

    Does oil wash out of satin?

    Satin can be made from a variety of textiles, and some can tolerate hotter temperatures than others. Hand wash if necessary or use the delicate cycle on your washer depending on the care instructions. Using the hottest water possible breaks up the chemical bonds in the oil and helps it lift out of the fabric.

    How do you get oil out of satin skirt?

    Add Water. Since oil and water don't mix, use as much hot water as possible to drive out the oil. After letting your garment soak in the soap for five to 10 minutes, wash it thoroughly. Be careful not to let the soap dry on the fabric during the soaking stage.

    How do you get an oil stain out of a dress?

    You can remove oil stains from clothes using vinegar. Simply soak your garments in a mix of equal parts vinegar and equal parts warm water, then gently scrub the fabric against each other to remove as much of the oil stain as you can. Finally, launder the clothes as usual.