Essential oils are plant extracts famed for their aromatherapy, perfumery, healing properties, cosmetics properties, etc. The benefits of essential oils are endless, making them a staple in many homes.
These miracle potions are incredibly hard to remove when they stain clothes; they are plant materials, which are tough stains, encased in oil form, which is the worst stain base.
Worry not, however, because there is an effective method of removing the stains from clothes, using different easily-gotten items.
10 Items that Will Remove Essential Oil Stains from Clothes
Essential oil stains are tough to remove. You can’t place the stained clothes in the washer and hope for the best. There are pre-washing treatments you should carry out.
These items have powerful stain removal abilities, and you can find them in stores, or you may already have some! However, perform a patch test on a hidden spot on the stained clothes to see how the clothes’ fabric responds to the stain removal item, preventing damage to the clothes.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is an item you probably already have in the house, especially if you bake a lot. It is exceptional for pretreating the stains before washing because it is an abrasive and a natural degreaser, deodorizer, and stain remover.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface with cardboard or a stack of paper towels at the back of the stain to prevent it from dropping to the other side of the clothes while treating.
- Pour one cup of baking soda into a small bowl of cold water to form a thick paste.
- Sprinkle water on the stained area to make it damp, and then pour the paste on the stains.
- Gently scrub the stains with a soft brush and leave the treatment to soak for 30 minutes.
- Afterward, rinse the clothes with cold water and place them in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent.
- Check if there are no more stains before drying the clothes. If there are stains, repeat the process.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural cleaning agent used to remove stains, clean appliances and utensils, deodorize fabric and freshen rooms, replace bleach in whitening clothes, etc. These properties make vinegar a perfect item to safely remove essential oil stains from clothes.
Vinegar can also remove dry essential oil stains.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface with a bucket nearby to catch falling liquid while treating.
- Mix equal parts of vinegar and water and pour on the stains.
- Leave the vinegar to soak on the stains for 15 minutes.
- Afterward, rinse the clothes with cold water and place them in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent.
Enzyme Detergent
Enzyme laundry is an innovation that uses processed biological elements to target specific stains for more effective cleaning. Using enzyme detergent to treat the stained clothes and subsequently wash them will remove the essential oil stains from the clothes.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Fill a sizable tub, bowl, basin, or bucket with warm water.
- Pour the enzyme detergent into the water (see the label for the recommended amount).
- Submerge the stained clothes and leave them to soak for an hour.
- Rinse the clothes with cold water and place them in the washer with another dose of enzyme detergent.
Baby Powder
Baby powder acts as an absorbent, similar to how baking soda absorbs stains. It is another household item that can remove essential oil stains from your clothes.
This stain removal method is lengthy because the baby powder is not a cleaning agent like the other items. However, getting the oil stains out is the priority.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface with cardboard or a stack of paper towels at the back of the stain to prevent it from dropping to the other side of the clothes while treating.
- Pour baby powder on the stains and leave the treatment to sit for ten minutes.
- Shake out the powder and place the clothes in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent.
Dish Soap
Dish soap is a superb degreaser. It removes essential oil stains from clothes by dissolving the oil from the fabric, especially the dry ones.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to get rid of excess oil without spreading it further.
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface with cardboard at the back of the stain to prevent it from dropping to the opposite side of the clothes while treating.
- Sprinkle water on the clothes to make them damp.
- Squeeze dish soap on the stains and gently scrub with a soft brush.
- Leave the treatment to sit for 20 minutes.
- Rinse the clothes and place them in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent.
Amodex
Amodex is a non-toxic cream-based stain remover powerful enough to remove oil stains from clothes. This stain remover is straightforward and inexpensive.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface to expose the hidden stains.
- Shake the Amodex bottle because the solution might separate if left for a long time.
- Apply Amodex on the stains and leave it to settle into the fabric. Do not wet the clothes before applying.
- After a while, the stains will disappear.
- Rinse the clothes and place them in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent, following the care label instructions.
Grandma’s Secret
Grandma’s Secret is another non-toxic commercial stain remover that effortlessly removes essential oil stains while preserving the fabric’s integrity.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface to expose the hidden stains.
- Sprinkle cold water on the clothes to make them damp.
- Pour the stain remover on the stains and gently scrub with a soft brush.
- Leave the treatment to sit for 20 minutes and then wipe it away with a towel.
- Place the clothes in the washer with an appropriate laundry detergent, following the care label instructions.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is an efficient stain remover, adding to its other properties. It will easily remove the essential oil stains from the clothes, even though it is only effective on fresh stains.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Soak the stained clothes in cold water for two minutes.
- Rub aloe vera all over the stained areas and leave the treatment to sit for an hour.
- Rinse the clothes and place them in the washer with an appropriate laundry detergent, following the care label instructions.
Oxygen Bleach
Oxygen bleach will remove the essential oil stains from clothes – especially the set, stubborn ones – without damaging or discoloring the clothes.
Perform a patch test on an innocuous part of the clothes to see how they will react to the oxygen bleach.
Procedure:
- Fill a sizable bowl or bucket with warm water and pour the recommended amount of oxygen bleach inside.
- Stir till it forms a homogeneous mixture and submerges the clothes.
- Leave the clothes to soak for an hour.
- Rinse the clothes and place them in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent, following the care label instructions.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a multi-functional item that also functions as a powerful stain remover, particularly for oil stains.
Always perform a patch test on an innocuous part of the clothes to see if there’s any adverse reaction before proceeding.
Procedure:
- First, use a paper towel or a cotton towel to gently dab at the stain to remove excess oil without spreading it further.
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface with a bucket nearby to catch falling liquid while treating.
- Pour rubbing alcohol on the stains and soak for ten minutes.
- Afterward, rinse the clothes with cold water and place them in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent.