Palm oil is a major ingredient in Nigerian cuisine. It makes the food taste amazing, but it can also give you a nightmare when washing if it ever finds its way onto your clothes.
If you’re looking for how to remove palm oil stains from clothes, Bukz Easy Clean laundry service will show you easy and effective ways to remove tough palm oil stains from clothes. If you’ve ever worried about ruining your favourite shirt while cooking or there’s a palm oil stain on your designer clothes that you want to remove, this guide is for you.
What Makes Removing Palm Oil Stains So Tricky?
Palm oil is different from other cooking oils like vegetable oil, olive oil, or even seed oils. Here’s why it creates such stubborn stains that are so difficult to remove:
- It has a thick, sticky texture.
- The orange-red colour can quickly soak into fabric.
- It contains chemical ingredients that easily stick to cloth fibres.
- Palm oil, like any other type of oil, is hydrophobic. This means it doesn’t dissolve in water.
- If you wait too long, the stain becomes almost impossible to remove.
Imagine palm oil like a sticky paint that wants to stay on your clothes at all costs without wanting to get out. When it drops on a fabric, it doesn’t just sit on top. Instead, it quickly sinks deep into the cloth’s tiny threads, making it difficult to remove from the inside. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to remove.
What You’ll Need To Remove Palm Oil Stains From Clothes
If your clothes are soiled with palm oil and you want to get rid of the stain, gather these items before you start the war against the stains:
- Liquid dish soap
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Cornstarch
- Clean white cloths
- Soft brush
- Laundry detergent
- A large bowl or bucket
How to Remove Palm Oil Stains From Clothes
If you’ve got all the ingredients and tools you’ll need to get the stain out, try out any of the four methods below to get rid of the palm oil stain. These are the most efficient methods we’ve used to remove stubborn palm oil stains from clothes and fabrics for our clients over the last four years:
Method 1: Dish Soap Technique
Dish soap has special chemicals called surfactants. Surfactants are special molecules that act like tiny bridges between water and oil. They have one side that loves water and another side that loves oil. This allows them to grab onto both substances and help clean things by breaking up and removing oil molecules, making them easier to wash away. It’s like breaking a big problem into smaller, easier pieces.
What You’ll Do:
Follow the steps below carefully to remove the oil stain from your cloth. If you’re wondering what dish soap to use, you can try Morning Fresh, which is one of the most popular dish soaps out there.
- Find a dish soap. Use Morning Fresh or any soap you have in your house.
- Remove excess oil from the fabric using a clean cloth.
- Put a small drop of dish soap (Morning Fresh) directly on the stain.
- Gently rub the soap into the fabric, avoiding scrubbing or squeezing too hard.
- Use your fingers to softly massage the soap on the affected part of the fabric.
- Wait for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with clean water.
- Wash the cloth normally using your hands or washing machine.
Method 2: Baking Soda Magic
Baking soda is highly absorbent. It has tiny holes that trap or draw oil stains to itself, making the stain easy to wash off. Think of it like a sponge that soaks up liquid, or a foam that soaks up liquid when you spill on the floor. When you sprinkle it on the stain, these tiny holes grab and hold the oil, pulling it away from your clothes.
Step-by-Step Process:
- Use a white clean cloth to remove some of the excess palm oil stain from the cloth.
- Cover the entire stain or affected part of the fabric completely with baking soda.
- Press the powder gently into the fabric.
- Let it sit for 30-45 minutes.
- The powder will look darker as it absorbs oil.
- Use a soft brush to remove the powder.
- Wash the cloth with any detergent of your choice.
Method 3: Vinegar Solution
Vinegar is a natural cleaner. It breaks down oil and helps remove the stain. It’s like a gentle warrior fighting against the stubborn palm oil, taming it eventually. You can get white vinegar from any supermarket or local store near you.
What to Do:
- Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water together in a bowl.
- Soak the affected part in the solution for about one to two minutes.
- Scrub gently with your hands or a brush to remove the stains.
- Let the cloth sit in the solution for 10-15 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water, then wash as usual.
Method 4: Using Cornstarch
Cornstarch, which is ground corn flour, has super-fine particles that pull oil away from fabrics. Imagine tiny hands grabbing and lifting the oil out of your clothes.
Detailed Steps:
- Cover the stain with a thick layer of cornstarch.
- Gently press the powder into the fabric.
- Let it sit for 2-4 hours.
- For tough stains, leave overnight.
- Brush off the powder carefully.
- Wash with any laundry detergent of your choice.
What Not to Do When Removing Palm Oil Stains From Clothes at Home
Avoid these mistakes when dealing with palm oil stains:
- Do not use hot water to wash the cloth because it may make the stains permanent.
- Don’t put stained clothes in the dryer.
- Stop yourself from hard scrubbing when washing off the oil stain.
- Avoid using bleach on coloured clothes.
When to Ask for Professional Help
You need to call a professional cleaner like Bukz Easy Clean if:
- Home methods don’t work
- The clothing is expensive
- The stain covers a large area
- You’re unsure about the fabric
How to Prevent Future Stains
Smart tips to protect your clothes:
- Wear an apron while cooking.
- Clean or treat the oil stain immediately.
- Be careful when cooking or eating foods with palm oil, especially if you’re wearing white clothes.
Bukz Easy Clean: Your Laundry Partner
Can’t get the stain out? Our professional laundry service is here to help! We understand Nigerian cooking and know exactly how to tackle tough stains like palm oil.
Book our stain removal service today and say goodbye to your laundry worries!
