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NON-TOXIC CLEANING 101
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FEATURED
YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS
ExPLORE
NON-TOXIC CLEANING 101
With grease stains, time matters. The longer it sits, the deeper it absorbs into the fibers of your clothing.
As soon as you notice the stain, blot excess grease with a clean paper towel or cloth. Whatever you do, don't rub the stain; this just pushes the grease further into the fabric. If you have cornstarch or baking soda nearby, sprinkle some on the stain and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the oil before brushing it off.
Next, apply a stain treatment directly to the spot. A non-toxic stain stick or a small amount of non-toxic dish soap works well here because both are designed to break down oils. You can also use Truly Free Home Heavy Duty Degreaser on fabric grease stains. Gently work the product into the stain with your fingers or a soft brush, then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Wash the garment in the warmest water the care label allows. Hot water helps dissolve grease more effectively than cold water. Before you toss your garment in the dryer, check the stain. If there's still a mark, treat and wash it again. The dryer is the point of no return for grease stains.
If you didn't catch the grease stain right away, or it's already been through a wash cycle, you'll need a little more muscle. But don’t worry, it’s still possible to remove grease stains that have set in. Here’s how.
Apply a bio-based enzyme stain remover or Truly Free Home Heavy Duty Degreaser directly to the stain. If you're using an enzyme stain remover, make a paste (one scoop of enzyme powder mixed with a teaspoon of water). Work it into the fabric and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The enzymes break down the oils at a molecular level, which is what makes them effective on older stains that soap alone won’t touch.
For stains that have already been through the dryer, soak the garment in hot water with a scoop of oxygen bleach for a few hours or overnight, then treat with enzyme remover again and wash on hot. It may take two or three rounds, but many set-in grease stains do come out with persistence and patience.
When treating a grease stain, it’s also important to pay attention to the type of fabric you’re working with. Here’s how to tackle grease stains depending on what your garment is made of.
Cotton and polyester are the most forgiving fabrics for grease removal. They can handle hot water, enzyme treatments, and repeated washing without much risk of damage.
Denim absorbs grease quickly because of its weight, so you may need to let the stain treatment sit a bit longer. Use a soft brush to work the product into the weave.
Delicates (silk, wool, rayon) require a gentler approach. Use cool water instead of hot, skip the oxygen bleach soak, and opt for a stain stick rather than a paste. Always spot-test in an inconspicuous area first, and consider hand washing rather than running delicates through the machine.
Of course, like with any stain removal, there are certain things you should always avoid for the best results. Here are the most common grease stain removal mistakes.
Rubbing the stain. Always blot. Rubbing the stain spreads the grease into a larger area and pushes it deeper into the fibers.
Using hot water before treating. Hot water is great for the wash cycle, but running hot water over an untreated grease stain can actually help the oil bond to the fabric. Treat first, then wash hot.
Drying before the stain is gone. The heat from the dryer essentially cooks the grease into the fibers. Always air dry or check the stain before putting anything in the dryer.
Grease is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. A regular wash cycle with just detergent and water often isn't enough because the water literally can't penetrate the oil to lift it away. That's why you need a lipase enzyme treatment to break the oil down at the molecular level. Using both together gives you the best shot at getting the stain out completely.
If you want a non-toxic setup that handles grease stains without harsh chemicals, Truly Free Home laundry products cover all the bases. Our Stain Stick uses pine oil terpenes and saponified coconut and olive oils to cut through grease on contact. Our Enzyme Stain Remover breaks down oil-based stains with a bio-based enzyme paste, and OxyBoost provides oxygen bleach power for soaking set-in stains. No matter which Truly Free Home stain remover you reach for, you can rest assured all three are free of chlorine bleach, harsh fragrances, and dyes.
