Fancy a mid-week stir-fry? No problem!
You’ve got your wok at the ready. The chicken’s diced, the beansprouts set, and the pepper is prepped. There’s just one last thing: add a splash of peanut oil to the pan to get things fried up!
You’re whipping up the stir-fry to end all stir-frys when suddenly a few skets from the pan land epically on your t-shirt. You’ve been splattered by the peanut oil.
At this point, you have two choices: 1) Do nothing and end up with a ruined and bin-worthy t-shirt, or 2) React quickly to the eyesore, treat it and get rid of the oily mark.
See the step-by-step guide below on removing peanut oil stains from clothes.
Tips to Remember When Dealing with Peanut Oil Accidents
- Act quickly! The faster you remove the peanut oil, the better your chances are of eradicating the entire stain. If you allow the peanut oil to age, it will dry into the material’s fibres and leave an unsightly mark behind.
- Don’t wet your oily stain. Dry-treat your blemish, then wet-clean your garment. Water and oil don’t mix very well.
- Gently blot a peanut oil stain. Don’t use harsh scrubbing movements because they’ll drive the oil deeper into the material’s fibres.
- Don’t dry your item until it’s free from peanut oil. Heat sets stains and makes them harder to remove.
- Work from the outside of the stain and towards its centre. This keeps the peanut oil contained in one region.
- Test your chosen cleaning solution before you use it. Find a hidden patch of material, dab some solution onto it and watch what happens. If nothing happens, continue using the product. Stop if you see discolouration or damage.
- Read and stick to the cleaning instructions on the care label of your item of clothing. Not sure what each symbol means? Read our guide to UK washing symbols, or use your iPhone to decipher the cleaning instructions.
How to Get Peanut Oil Out of Clothes
Tools you’ll need:
- Teaspoon
- Paper towels
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Credit card
- Biological liquid laundry detergent like Persil Bio
- Washing up liquid like Fairy Original
- Soft toothbrush
- Running warm water
- Laundering method: Hand washing tools or washing machine
Steps to follow:
- Use a teaspoon to scrape off excess peanut oil from the surface if applicable.
- Grab some paper towels and blot the material to remove the oil.
- Coat the entire stain in bicarbonate of soda – this will absorb the oil.
- When the bicarb has absorbed the oil, scrape it off using a credit card.
- Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until the bicarbonate of soda doesn’t absorb any more oil – the more you repeat the steps, the longer you’ll have to leave the bicarb on the stain so that it has ample time to draw out the peanut oil.
- Remove the final traces of bicarb from the surface.
- Coat the entire area in biological liquid laundry detergent (containing enzymes) or washing up liquid.
- Soak both sides of the stain in cleaner and work the solution in using a soft toothbrush.
- Leave the item alone for at least ten minutes.
- If applicable, rinse off the washing up liquid.
- Launder the item of clothing at the hottest temperature allowed – use laundry detergent.
- Check the item after the washing cycle. If there are still blemishes, repeat the steps above. If not, air-dry the outfit.
Note: If using washing up liquid, use a solution that’s tough on grease rather than gentle on skin. If the product is great at removing greasy deposits, it can break through the oil. Products designed to be kind to the skin might not be strong enough to remove the peanut oil.
Alternative Methods
Cornflour or talcum powder
Use cornflour or talcum powder to absorb the peanut oil if you don’t have bicarbonate of soda at hand. Follow the steps above. Just use cornflour or talc wherever you see bicarb noted.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a tough cleaner that can easily rip through grime and oil. That said, it is a dangerous chemical that must be handled with care.
Always wear protective gear when handling the solution, don’t allow kids and pets to play with or around the product, and always stick to the usage instructions on the packaging.
To use ammonia to treat a peanut oil stain, follow the steps above (Steps 1 to 6), but instead of coating the stain in detergent or washing up liquid, allow the stained garment to soak in a tub of diluted ammonia.
See the instructions on the packaging to find out how long you can soak the material and how much water to ammonia you need to use (you may need to alter the measurements to suit the size of your blemish).
After soaking the item, rinse it clean using hot water (the hottest temperature allowed for the fabric) and launder it as usual using laundry detergent.
Note: Don’t use ammonia on delicate (like silk or wool), other natural fibres (like pearls and gemstones), and vintage items of clothing. It is likely to discolour or permanently damage the fine material.
Stain remover
If you’re after a quick fix, consider using an off-the-shelf stain-removing solution like Dr. Beckmann Stain Devils Fat & Sauces. Products like this are designed to start breaking down fatty, oily stains in minutes and don’t require much input from the user.
Specialised cleaners are a relatively good alternative to homemade remedies. However, they can sometimes work out more expensive. Sometimes, you have to use the solution multiple times to see visible results, which can add to the cost.
Dry cleaning
If your garment is labelled ‘Dry Clean Only’, or your piece is delicate or part of your vintage collection, remove as much peanut oil from the material as you can by blotting the surface gently. Then, take your item to a dry cleaning shop immediately.
You can find a dry cleaning store by doing an online search. Just choose a reputable company with glowing reviews, make sure you find out what products will be used and what effects these solutions may have on the fabric, and ask out how much the work will cost.
How to Remove Dried Peanut Oil Stains from Clothes
Aged peanut oil stains are trickier to remove, and in some cases, they’ll leave a permanent stain on items of clothing. Carry out the steps below, but remember that you will have to treat your outfit multiple times:
- Stuff a folded-up tea towel up behind the back of the oily stain – make sure this is a towel you don’t need. This towel will absorb the cleaning solutions you’ll be using.
- Spray some WD-40 into a shallow dish. WD-40 is a solvent that can break down the oil.
- Dip a cotton bud into the solution.
- Dab the solution onto the peanut oil blemish.
- Wait a few minutes.
- Coat the entire area in bicarbonate of soda. This will absorb the loose oil.
- Gently massage the bicarb into the surface using a soft toothbrush.
- As you massage, the bicarb will clump together. Remove these clumps and add fresh bicarbonate of soda to the surface.
- Repeat Steps 6 to 8 until the bicarb doesn’t clump together.
- Remove the bicarb from the surface.
- Coat the whole stain in liquid laundry detergent or washing up liquid.
- Wait ten minutes.
- If applicable, rinse the washing up liquid off the surface.
- Launder the item of clothing as per the washing instructions on the care label.
- Check the item for stains after the wash. Repeat the steps above if there’s a stain present, or air-dry the outfit.
If you’re having difficulty removing the oily stain, take your garment to a dry cleaning shop. The professional can help you out or advise you further.
Note: The method above is not suitable for delicate materials. Take finer pieces to a dry cleaning store.
Does Peanut Oil Stain Clothes?
Yes, peanut oil, like any other oil, can stain clothes. However, if you react quickly to the blemish and remove it, you stand a good chance of taking out the eyesore in its entirety.
In contrast, aged stains that have set in over time or because of heat are more troublesome to remove. These marks are known for leaving permanent blemishes on outfits.
Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!
