Good old grease! No matter how much you rub it, there is no getting it out of your clothes! And if you are new to the whole bicycle maintenance gig, chances are, you forgot to change clothes before you began. Didn’t you? Now who wants to waste a good set of pants or shorts?
How To Remove Bicycle Grease From Clothes
So here are some self-tested, proven ways of removing bicycle grease from your clothes.
1. How To Use Dishwashing Liquid Against Grease
Even if it is a fresh stain, you need to move quickly. A dishwashing liquid is going to be your best bet if you are wearing cotton or synthetic fabrics.
Step 1. Put Some Dishwashing Liquid On Grease Stains
Dishwashing liquid works well on your clothes against grease. If you have an ordinary grease stain, apply a drop of the liquid and rinse properly. It should start getting cleaned.
If it is a stubborn stain then you can combine the dishwashing liquid with baking soda and apply that mixture to the stain. Don’t use your hands. Use a discarded toothbrush to rinse the mixture gently.
Step 2. Use Cold Water To Rinse
After applying the mixture or just the liquid, you need to let it sit there for a while. Then put it through a cold water tap. The stain has to face down and the water needs to come from the back. This will clean the stain properly.
Step 3. Dry The Cloth According To The Instructions
Next step is drying. You can hang it so it air dries or you can use a dryer, whatever suits your clothing material. If the stain is still there, try following the steps again until the stain is removed completely.
2. How To Use Biological Laundry Detergent Against Grease
This is another effective method to get the grease stains out of synthetic fabrics.
Step 1. Apply The Washing Powder First
The first thing that you need to do is apply the washing powder to the grease stain. Rub it slowly and then let it just sit there for almost 15 minutes. Make sure that you rinse it properly first before letting it sit there.
Step 2. Use Cold Water To Rinse
After you have applied the detergent to the cloth, place it under a cold water tap. Wash the grease stain from the back so that it washes off properly.
Step 3. Dry It Properly
You can do your laundry as you regularly do it, and there will be no problems.
If you have delicate fabrics like silk or wool, then I do not recommend this method. It’s better to give the fabric to your local professional dry cleaner or washer.
3. How To Use Baking Soda Against Grease
If you don’t want to use chemical products, use baking soda.
Step 1. Apply A Very Small Amount Of Baking Soda On The Grease Stain
Delicate fabrics as well as other fabrics react very well to baking soda. It just sucks out the grease stain like a vacuum. That is why you have to sprinkle a very small amount on the stain.
Step 2. Let The Baking Soda Sit Through The Night
Let it sit through the night. When you wake up, you will notice that the baking soda has cleaned a good proportion of the grease stain.
Step 3. Wash and Dry
Now that the baking soda has absorbed a lot of grease stain, it is time to wash it. You can wash and dry according to the care instructions on the label of the cloth. This is an incredibly effective way to wash the grease stains, try it out.
4. How To Use Bar Soap or Shampoo Against Grease
You can use either the shampoo or the bar soap on the cloth for bike grease stain removal. Let us discuss the shampoo method first.
Using A Shampoo
Apply it to the stain, and then leave it be for a while. You need to use a shampoo that removes body oil, that will work best here with stains.
Using A Bar Of Soap
You can also use the bar soap for stains and if it is a stubborn stain then I recommend using the laundry soap. With regular bar soap, dip the garment in water first. Ammonia works too. Then wash it off with the bar soap.
Now you need to rinse the garment. I recommend dipping it in a mixture of water and vinegar. I always choose Viniger because it is already a natural cleaning agent and powerful. Don’t combine the soap with the vinegar as this will also remove the alkaline portion in the soaps. When mixing water with vinegar, the ratio should be 1:2.
All you have to do now is follow cleaning instructions and let the garment dry. Let it dry naturally. If you use a dryer then chances are that the stains could become permanent.
Natural Ways To Fight Grease Stains
If you are against the chemicals going in your clothes then there are natural methods that you can use to fight the stubborn grease stains. Citrus and water-based products are always great. Try out these options as well.
- Lemon and Vinegar
- Soap Made From Vegetable Oil
- Baking Soda
- Borax
Important Notice: Borax is a dangerous substance. Make sure that you keep it away from children and store it in a safe, cool, and dry place.
Related: Best Bike Chain Degreaser
Safety Tips
The first thing you have to know is that bike grease stains will come off your bike. There is no need to be worried. It might take some grinding and even some time I can say that from experience.
Every kind of fabric will react differently to cleaning, especially when you are cleaning grease. Being careful is the first step. In the second step, you have to read the care labels on your clothes, and they give instructions on how to clean them. Sometimes there are also special instructions, on what to follow in terms of bike grease.
What To Do If The Grease Stain Has Dried?
This might seem tricky at first because tough grease stains are already hard to remove. If a stain has dried then you can use talcum or corn flour on the stain. This absorbs part of the stain which makes the cleaning process easier. After that, you can follow the steps that I mentioned.
FAQs
Which chemical is used to remove grease stains from clothes?
Ammonia is a chemical that can be used to remove grease stains from clothes. However, it is best to practice precaution.
Can toothpaste remove grease?
Yes, a non-gel toothpaste can remove grease stains.
What removes grease fast?
White vinegar can remove grease fast.
Recap
Getting grease out of your stains can be very nasty, especially if you are not prepared. There are a lot of ways to get the grease stains out but not all of them are as effective as the ones I have listed. From covering how we get grease stains to actually treating them, I hope that the guide answered all of your questions.
However, I recommend wearing throw-away clothes for such kind of a work. If you have any other questions then do reach out to us in the comments below!
