The Budget-Friendly Cleaning Hack That Removes Oil Stains From Laundry

The moment you spill oil on your clothing or any fabrics, the urge to roll your eyes to the sky and heave the heaviest sigh is overpowering. You just know that removing that stain is going to be a pain ... if you can even get it out at all. While there are plenty of hacks to banish oil stains from clothing, not all of them work as well as they are touted to. And depending on the type of fabric, it can be tricky to find the proper solution or combination of products. However, one kitchen ingredient has been proven to pull up oil marks and get your clothes back to their original fresh (and stain-free) state. Along with being one of the most coveted seasonings for your food, salt can also help clean your textiles and remove tough residue by absorbing it. Not only does it clear away stains, but it could even help prevent them down the line, making this your new favorite ingredient for cleaning.

So why does a delicious mineral also help pull oils from your clothing? Salt contains compounds which can absorb moisture, so when added to a fabric, these particles begin pulling the grease out. The ionic properties in salt means that it can actually help get rid of everything from oil to blood and even wine stains. The timing of when you use this method is important, as it won't have the same effect with every stain if left too long. Start using salt in the laundry room to remove soils and it might become your new laundry staple.

For the best results when using salt on your textiles to remove oil stains, you want to act as soon as possible. The fresher the residue, the better this hack will work. You can use a clean cloth to apply the salt directly to the fabric and rub it. Regardless of if you add water or not, allow the salt to soak up the moisture on your clothing for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

You may want to gently wipe the salt away to check the stain before washing your piece. You can reapply more salt if necessary before using a warm cycle and a mild detergent that won't be too abrasive on your clothing. Add the salted fabric to the wash, then check after the cycle is finished to ensure the stain is gone. Drying clothing items that are stained with oil will cause it to cling to the material, setting the stain. Using salt to remove your toughest fabric stains isn't the only way to take advantage of it, as it can help protect against spills, too. This is because the mineral works to cover and strengthen fibers, sealing them against various elements, including oil.