Easy Ways to Get Oil Stains Out of Jeans (+ Expert-Backed Best Practices)

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Laundry & cleaning specialist Rani Gorgis explains how to get rid of those pesky oil stains

Co-authored by Rani Gorgis and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: November 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Removing the Oil
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• Pre-Treating the Stain
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• Washing the Jeans
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• Best Practices
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• Video
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• Expert Q&A

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After you eat something oily, like a piece of pizza, you may become frustrated if you notice that your jeans have acquired a new stain. Since oil stains are tricky, you might worry that it’s stuck there for good. Luckily, there are several ways to help get that oil stain out. In this article, we explain how to get the oil out of your jeans and treat the stain, and share the best practices for removing oil stains from jeans, with help from various cleaning specialists.

How to Remove Oil Stains From Jeans

Laundry & cleaning specialist Rani Gorgis says to mix baking soda with a bit of warm water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the stain in a circular motion with a small bristle brush until it subsides. Then, Gorgis says to wash your jeans with warm water, regular detergent, and ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of white vinegar.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Removing the Oil

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1. 
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   Blot the stain to remove excess oil. Gently press against the oil stain with a paper towel, tissue, or cotton swab. This may help remove excess oil that hasn’t yet set into the stain. Do this as soon as possible after the oil comes in contact with your jeans.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Rani Gorgis is a Laundry & Cleaning Specialist with several years of experience. He specializes in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes.

   Safir Ali is a Professional Dry Cleaner with over 6 years of experience. Ali specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning.

   Alessandra Mendes is a Cleaning Specialist and Founder of Cleaning Glow. She has over 10 years of experience, specializing in residential cleaning services.
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   Cover the stain in baking powder and leave it for 1 hour. After you’ve blotted up the excess oil, sprinkle baking powder onto the stain so that it’s completely covered. Lay your jeans on a flat surface and leave them alone for at least 1 hour. If the baking powder is a yellowish color, then it likely pulled at least some of the oil out of your jeans.

   • Sprinkle cornstarch onto the stain if you don’t have baking powder.
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   Brush off the baking powder or cornstarch. Once the baking powder or cornstarch has been sitting on the stain for at least an hour, gently brush off as much of it as you can. You can do this with a damp sponge or rag, but it may be more effective to brush the baking powder or cornstarch off with a large, fluffy makeup brush.
   

   Cheryl Mendelson, Homekeeping Expert

   For oil-based stains, first blot excess oil, then apply dish soap, rubbing alcohol, or an oil-cutting laundry pretreat stick before washing. Avoid hot water, which can set the stain; wash in warm or cold water. For tough stains, try a paste of talcum powder, cornstarch, or baking soda.
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Section 2 of 4:

Pre-Treating the Stain

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1. 
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   ​​Cover the stain in dish washing liquid. Because it’s made to cut through grease on your dishes, a dish washing liquid, such as Dawn Dish Soap, can help to remove oil from your jeans. Simply squirt the liquid onto all of the affected areas and rub it into your jeans with a soft toothbrush.

   • Professional dry cleaner Safir Ali says you can also use a more diluted solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid, so long as the dishwashing liquid has some grease-removing additive.
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   Scrub the stain with baking soda and warm water as another option. Gorgis says, “You will need baking soda mixed with a bit of warm water and a small bristle brush. Brush the mixture into the [oil] stain in a circular motion until you see the stain subside.” Just mix about 3 parts baking soda with 1 part of water until it forms a paste.

   • Use an old toothbrush to scrub if you don’t have a bristle brush.
   • If you don’t have a toothbrush or bristle brush, Ali says you can also rub the garment against itself on the spot of the stain.
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   Cover the stain with shampoo if you don’t have soap or baking soda. Many shampoos, especially those made for people with oily hair, strip out natural oils in order to give the hair a cleaner appearance. Completely cover the stained area in shampoo to try to strip the oil out of your jeans. Then, scrub it with a soft toothbrush.
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   Spray your oil stain with WD-40 as an alternative. Make sure that the spraying straw is attached to your WD-40 before you use it so that you can be in control of the application. Then, spray the WD-40 all over the stained area. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes, then blot it with a paper towel.
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   Use hairspray if you don’t have WD-40. Hairspray can be applied in the same way that WD-40 is applied to help remove a good portion of the oil stain. Aim the can nozzle at the oily spots and press down to release the hairspray until the stains are completely coated. Then, leave your jeans to sit for a few minutes.
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   Rinse the area with warm water. After scrubbing, take your jeans to the sink or tub and run some warm water. Hold the jeans underneath the water and rinse off the stained area until all of the stain remover you used is gone.
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Section 3 of 4:

Washing the Jeans

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   Wash your jeans with detergent and vinegar in warm water. Toss your jeans into the washing machine. Then, Gorgis says, “Wash the jeans in warm water and regular laundry detergent. You can also add vinegar in the wash cycle to ensure that the stain is completely removed and that you do not have to repeat the wash cycle.” Just use about ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of white vinegar.

   • The white vinegar will help to pull out any oil that remains in the jeans.
   • While some stains are better removed with cold water, you’re much more likely to get rid of your oil stains if the water is warm.
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   Hang your jeans out to dry. Tumble drying your jeans with heat in the dryer will set in any remaining stains, making it much more difficult to get the oil out. After the washing cycle is done, remove your jeans from the washing machine and hang them out on a clothesline or drying rack.
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   Wash your jeans again, if necessary. After your jeans are done drying, take a close look at the area that was stained. If you notice that the area is still stained, throw them back in the washer. Don’t dry your jeans in the dryer again until you don’t see any remaining stains after letting the jeans air dry.
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Section 4 of 4:

Best Practices for Removing an Oil Stain From Jeans

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1. 1
   Read the care label before washing the jeans. The care label on your jeans is always the first place you want to look when it comes to washing your jeans. By reading and following the care label’s instructions, you’ll ensure that your jeans last longer and avoid accidentally damaging the garment during the washing process.
2. 2
   Blot, treat, and wash your jeans as much as you need. It’s not the end of the world if you treat and wash the jeans, only to be met with a stain when you pull them out of the washer; it just means the stain is durable. When the stain isn’t removed, repeat the process. Start by blotting the stain, then work your way through the treating and washing process. Check to see if the stain has been removed, and if not, repeat the process until it is.
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   Use degreasers or stronger products for tough stains. Cleaning specialist Alessandra Mendes suggests using a degreaser to remove oil stains. Degreasers are products designed to remove grease, oil, and grime from different surfaces, and they do so by breaking the bonds that hold them together. All you have to do is apply the degreaser to the whole stain, wait 15-20 minutes, then wash like normal.

   • Use laundry degreasers like Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam or OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover Spray.
   • Oil stains are hard to remove because oil opposes water, meaning it won’t mix with any water it comes into contact with. They have different molecular structures, so using water on oil stains doesn’t have any effect.
4. 4
   Don’t machine dry the jeans until you’re sure the stain is gone. Machine drying can cause the stain to settle into your jeans, which makes it a lot harder to remove. So, avoid machine drying until you’re sure that the stain is gone. If the stain isn’t gone after your first time treating and washing the jeans, repeat the process until it’s gone.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How do you get dried oil stains out of clothes?

  

  Safir Ali
  Professional Dry Cleaner

  Safir Ali is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hamper Dry Cleaning and Laundry, a startup in Houston, Texas reinventing the laundry industry. With over six years of experience launching and operating Hamper, Safir specializes in innovative ways to simplify dry cleaning using the experience from his family's business. Safir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Texas A&M University. Hamper offers 24/7 on-demand dry cleaning and laundry through delivery and kiosk services. Hamper has been featured on the Houston Rockets, Station Houston, the Houston Business Journal, BBVA, Yahoo Finance, and Innovation Map.

  

  Safir Ali

  Professional Dry Cleaner

  Expert Answer

  Soak the stain in a solution of warm water and a dishwashing liquid that has some grease-removing additive. Once the stain has been soaked, rub the stain against itself for about five minutes and try to use friction to get most of it out. Then put your clothes in the washing machine like normal.

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