How to Get Grease Stains Out of Jeans Without Damaging the Fabric

You got grease on your jeans. Maybe you were cooking, working on a car, or eating food, and a grease spot landed on your denim. Grease stains on jeans are common and can be removed with the right products. Here’s how to get grease stains out of jeans without damaging the fabric.

Grease stains on jeans are oil-based stains caused by cooking oil, motor oil, or food grease bonding with denim fibers. Denim is a durable cotton fabric that can handle strong stain removal methods. The key to removing grease from jeans is using a surfactant (Dawn dish soap), letting it sit long enough, and washing in warm or hot water.

To get grease stains out of jeans, scrape off excess grease, apply Dawn dish soap to the stain, let sit for 15 to 30 minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, apply baking soda, apply Shout foam, wash with Tide Free and Gentle in warm or hot water, and check before drying. Don’t use cold water, don’t rub, and don’t put grease-stained jeans in the dryer.

For Fresh Grease Stains on Jeans

Step 1: Scrape Off Excess

Use a dull edge to scrape off excess grease. Don’t rub.

Step 2: Apply Dawn Dish Soap

Apply Dawn Ultra Dish Soap directly to the grease stain. Work it in gently. Dawn is a surfactant that breaks down grease and oil.

Step 3: Let It Sit

Let the Dawn sit on the stain for 15 minutes. Don’t let it dry completely.

Step 4: Scrub with a Toothbrush

Scrub the stain with an old toothbrush. Work from the outside in. Denim is durable and can handle firm scrubbing.

Step 5: Apply Baking Soda

Sprinkle Arm and Hammer Baking Soda on the stain. Baking soda absorbs oil. Let sit for 15 minutes. Brush off the baking soda.

Step 6: Wash in Warm Water

Wash with Tide Free and Gentle in warm water. Add half a cup of baking soda to the wash.

Step 7: Add Vinegar to the Rinse

Add half a cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser for the rinse.

Step 8: Check Before Drying

Check that the grease stain is gone before putting the jeans in the dryer. If the stain remains, treat again and re-wash.

For Dried Grease Stains on Jeans

Step 1: Apply Dawn Dish Soap

Apply Dawn dish soap to the dried grease stain. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Scrub with a Toothbrush

Scrub the stain with an old toothbrush. Work from the outside in.

Step 3: Apply Baking Soda Paste

Make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply to the stain. Let sit for 15 minutes. Scrub with a toothbrush.

Step 4: Apply White Vinegar

Apply white vinegar full strength to the stain. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Apply Shout Foam

Apply Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Apply OxiClean

Spray with OxiClean Max Force Spray. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Step 7: Wash in Hot Water

Wash with Tide Free and Gentle in hot water. Denim can handle hot water. Add baking soda and OxiClean to the wash.

Step 8: Check Before Drying

Check that the stain is gone. If it remains, repeat the process. Don’t put stained jeans in the dryer.

For Stubborn Grease Stains on Jeans

Use the Iron Method

Place a clean paper towel over the stain. Iron on a medium setting (no steam). The heat melts the grease into the paper towel. Move the paper towel as it absorbs grease. Denim can handle the iron method.

Use Hand Sanitizer

Apply hand sanitizer to the stain. Let sit for 10 minutes. Scrub with a toothbrush. The alcohol breaks down the grease.

Use Rubbing Alcohol

Apply rubbing alcohol to the stain with a cotton ball. Let sit for 10 minutes. Blot with a clean cloth.

Use Amodex for Mixed Stains

If the grease stain has ink mixed in, use Amodex Ink and Stain Remover.

Use Lysol for Disinfecting

Add Lysol Laundry Sanitizer to the rinse.

Clean the Machine Monthly

Clean the washer monthly with affresh Washing Machine Cleaner.

Grease Stain Removal by Source on Jeans

Grease Source	Best Treatment	Water Temp	Notes
Cooking oil	Dawn, baking soda	Warm	Scrape off excess
Food grease	Dawn, Shout	Warm	Scrape off excess
Car grease	Dawn, Shout, alcohol	Hot	Let Dawn sit 30 min
Butter	Dawn, baking soda	Warm	Scrape off excess
Lotion	Dawn, baking soda	Warm	Scrape off excess
Sunscreen	Dawn, OxiClean	Warm	May need 2 treatments

What Not to Do

Don’t use cold water. Cold water doesn’t dissolve grease. Use warm or hot water for jeans.

Don’t rub the stain. Rubbing spreads the grease. Scrape and scrub with a toothbrush.

Don’t put grease-stained jeans in the dryer. Dryer heat sets grease permanently. Air dry and check first.

Don’t use chlorine bleach on colored jeans. Chlorine bleach can remove color from dark jeans. Use oxygen bleach (OxiClean) instead.

Don’t give up after one treatment. Stubborn grease stains may need 2 to 3 treatments. Repeat the process.

Don’t use hot water on dark jeans if you’re concerned about fading. Use warm water for dark jeans to prevent fading.

FAQ

How do you get grease stains out of jeans? Scrape off excess, apply Dawn dish soap for 15 to 30 minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, apply baking soda, apply Shout foam, wash with Tide Free and Gentle in warm or hot water, and check before drying.

Does Dawn dish soap remove grease from jeans? Yes. Dawn is a surfactant that breaks down grease and oil. Apply directly to the stain, let sit for 15 to 30 minutes, scrub, and wash in warm or hot water.

Can you use hot water on jeans? Yes. Denim is durable and can handle hot water. Use hot water for tough grease stains. Use warm water for dark jeans to prevent fading.

Can you put grease-stained jeans in the dryer? No. Dryer heat sets grease permanently. Air dry and check first. If the stain remains, treat again and re-wash.

How do you remove dried grease from jeans? Apply Dawn dish soap for 30 minutes, scrub, apply baking soda paste, apply white vinegar, apply Shout foam, wash in hot water with OxiClean, and check before drying. Repeat if needed.

References

1. Tide. “Grease Stain Removal Guide.” tide.com.
2. The Spruce. “How to Remove Grease from Jeans.” thespruce.com.
3. Good Housekeeping. “Grease Stain Guide.” goodhousekeeping.com.
4. Dawn. “Grease Removal Guide.” dawn.com.