The Best Way To Get Olive Oil Stains Out Of Clothing

Olive oil is one of those kitchen staples that make its way into almost every dish. It can serve as the base of a salad dressing or as the perfect addition to pasta. It can be used in baking, sautéing, and even poaching, according to MyRecipes. And while it's incredibly versatile, it is also incredibly stubborn. You've likely heard that you don't want olive oil to accidentally make contact with your clothing because it can be a pain to remove.

However, even when you try your best, one small slip-up can result in that greasy oil landing on a freshly cleaned shirt. And when that happens, it can certainly feel like there is no going back. But don't panic. It turns out there is actually a tried-and-true method for getting olive oil stains out of clothing. And no, it does not involve throwing the shirt away and buying a new one.

Skip the regular hand soap and opt for dishwashing liquid. According to Clorox's website, dishwashing liquid, meaning the kind you use to wash dishes by hand, is actually designed to rid dishes of grease. Since olive oil is a greasy substance, the dish soap does a good job of eliminating that oil stain.

Clorox recommends a few quick steps for removing the stain, starting with never rinsing the stain before cleaning. To tackle the olive oil, gently massage a few drops of soap into the stain. Then, wait five minutes before rinsing the stain with warm water. From there, wash the item as normal in hot water. For white items, use a detergent with bleach. For items with color, it's best to use a detergent with additional stain-fighting power. Finally, air-dry the items rather than toss them in the dryer. This way, if any part of the stain sticks around, you can repeat the process to remove the remaining oil.