As good as coconut oil is for cooking or nourishing your skin, when accidentally spilled on clothes, it can be bad news. A simple wash will not help remove the stain, given that the oil is hydrophobic in nature. No worries, though! If you have been looking for ways on how to get coconut oil out of clothes, your search ends here! This article will guide you.
As you scroll down, you will get to see how some of the available household products are good enough for removing these stains. In fact, you will also get clarity about removing the smell attached to the clothes and some tidbits on the same.
So here’s what you have to do –
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How to get coconut oil out of clothes easily?
For those who’ve got their clothes stained by coconut oil, here are a couple of ways to remove them same. Take a look –
Method 1 – The Baking Soda format
This is something you might be already aware of – given baking soda’s usefulness in a number of scenarios. To use this ideally, you will have to – spread out the cloth with the stained portion above. Then sprinkle a copious amount of baking soda on it (as an alternative, you can use baby powder, cornstarch, or even dry shampoo).
Brush that marked area gently, with an inward motion, and allow it to sit for 60 minutes. Then, take a couple of paper towels and blot the extra oil. After that, rinse normally.
Method 2 – Depending on the type of the fabric
There’s a crucial factor to note about how to get coconut oil out of clothes is the type of cloth that you are dealing with. What works for cotton clothes may not work for polyester variety or even delicate clothes. Hence, in this section, you will get clarity about the specific methods based on their type of fabric.
- If its a cotton cloth –
In case it’s a cotton fabric, then the hydrogen peroxide method or brushing with dishwasher liquid works well. In either case, soak the marked area with the concerned product (always diluted with water) and then wash it in the normal way.
- If it is a polyester fabric –
With polyester, be assured you will have a difficult time! Since coconut oil has a habit of clinging to this type of fabric, it is better to look no further than using baking soda to deal with this. Rub the stained area with baking soda generously and leave it for 30 minutes (you can try this for upholstery – but keep it for 60 minutes before washing). Then, wash it in the normal way and let it air dry.
- What if its a dark-hued fabric?
Dealing with dark-hued fabrics is one of the most challenging tasks. So, if you have to deal with a stain in such a case, add laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid in lukewarm water in a 1:1 ratio and let the cloth soak for 30 minutes. After that, wash it normally.
- How to deal with delicate fibers –
Whether its silk or any other type of delicate clothing, use baby powder to remove the stain. Put a generous amount of baby powder on the stain and scrub it gently with a moist cloth. After that, let it rest for 30-40 minutes. Then, wash it with a mild detergent in cold water.
Method 3 – Use the Vinegar solution
The vinegar technique is the easiest and definitely the most-opted one. For this, you will need white vinegar. Blend white vinegar with water in a 1:1 ratio. After that, you will have to soak the affected part of the cloth in this concoction for 30 minutes. Once done, you will have to rinse it using normal detergent powder in cold water.
#In case it is a dark-coloured fabric, then you can blot that stained area with baking powder after soaking it in the vinegar solution. Keep it for 15-20 minutes, and then wash it with normal detergent in cold water.
Method 4 – You may use Laundry detergent or Dishwashing liquid
There’s almost no stain that laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid cannot remove! Let’s see how this works with respect to coconut oil stains. Take a copious amount of laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid (if it’s an old stain, then you may combine them) and put it on the stain. After that, scrub it slowly.
Continue doing this process for 10-15 minutes and leave the product on it. After another 10 minutes, wash it as usual using the detergent.
#Always choose a laundry detergent that does not have a bleaching agent in it. This could ruin your fabric.
Method 5 – Using the Rubbing Alcohol technique
Wondering how to get coconut oil out of clothes with the help of alcohol? Here’s showing you the way – take an ample amount of rubbing alcohol on the cotton ball and blot that marked area with it. Continue the blotting process for 5-10 minutes, and then rub that area with a bar of mild detergent soap. Hold it under lukewarm water and gently rub that part.
Normally, this works at the first instance itself. In case it did not, you can always go in for a second round.
These are some of the ways by which you can get the coconut oil stain out of the clothes. Pick the one that works well for you (you might have to undergo some trial-and-error situation in the process).
Additional info – What if the smell persists even after the stain is gone? For that, you will have to make a vinegar solution – by blending vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio. After that, you will have to dip the clothes into it and leave it overnight. When done – wash it with a detergent the next day to remove the lingering smell. Doing this once should work. In case it doesn’t then you can do this again.
Remember these points
Before you go looking for any of the strategies on how to get coconut oil out of clothes, you must remember these points for sure –
- Check the fabric of the cloth
This is one of the key points to remember – you will have to check the care label of the cloth, as to whether it is the ‘normal clean’ type of cloth or the ‘dry-clean’ variety of dress. Depending on that, you must proceed.
- Do not put it in the washer
It is a natural attitude to remove stains; one washes the clothes. That is the biggest mistake you can make while dealing with coconut oil stains. Do not put in the washing machine before you pre-treat the stain (either blot it or use any instrument to remove it, or follow any other procedure). Once that is done, then you can normally wash it.
- Do not use hot water or bleach on the stained clothes
Though the hot water or the bleach treatment may work for other types of stains, this is not the way to treat the clothes when it comes to coconut stains. Follow the step-by-step guidelines given above and steer clear from either bleaching or using hot water, as they could spoil your clothes. If at all, you can use lukewarm water.
Conclusion
Coconut oil stains are one of the most difficult of the stains to get rid of. However, once you have read this article well, you will automatically know how to get coconut oil out of clothes and do the same accordingly. Pick up any mentioned steps you are comfortable with or have the ingredients for, and work accordingly. It is suggested that you check the type of fabric before applying any of the techniques since not every technique works on every type of cloth.
Did you like this article? If you have any further queries about the techniques, please leave your questions below. For more exciting updates and know-how guides – keep following this website.
FAQ
1. How to get coconut oil out of clothes made of cotton?
In case your cotton cloth gets stained, you can remove it by – combining hydrogen peroxide, water, and dish soap in a 1:2:2 ratio and spraying it on the affected area or blotting the area with it. Let that specific area soak the combo for 2-3 hours, or even more (if it’s a large stain), and then wash it as usual.
2. How to remove it if the stain has set in?
If the stain has set onto the cloth, you must work a little hard. Start by dampening that area with water and then use any of the techniques mentioned above (as per the fabric) and remove the stain accordingly.
3. Does a coconut oil-infused deodorant stain a shirt?
Normally, if you get a certified coconut oil-infused deodorant, it will not leave a stain behind. If it still does, wet that specific part of the cloth and follow the procedures mentioned above.
4. How to remove old stains from the clothes?
If you have a coconut stain that is quite old, then vinegar is the best alternative. Sprinkle a copious amount of vinegar on the stained area and keep it for 30-40 minutes. After that, rinse it with cold water, and then go for the usual machine wash.