Pesky and unsightly oil stains will vanish from laundry if you cover them with two kitchen items before washing
Stains can be some of the most frustrating things to deal with, especially when they can taint perfectly pristine clothes. Some stains are trickier to clean up, especially when they’re made from oil.
The reason oil-based stains are so tricky to get rid of is that as the oil oxidises, it becomes sticky and sets into the material, while its tendency to spread makes it hard to lift. However, to help combat these unsightly stains, cleaning expert Chantel Mila shared her extensive list of cleaning hacks to tackle different types of stains.
The TikToker, who goes by Mama Mila, shared a list of different cleaning methods back in November 2025, explaining that stains should be dealt with differently, depending on what they were made from.
Specifically for oil-based stains, there’s only two household items you’ll need. If your regular wash cycle isn’t doing the job, turn your attention to your kitchen cupboards.
All you’ll need is some baking soda and washing up liquid. Firstly, you want to lay out the blemished item of clothes, making sure that the oil stain is facing upwards.
Gently pour over a small amount of washing up liquid onto the stain, or enough to cover the mark, depending on how big the stain is. Follow this by generously covering the stain with baking soda.
Using a small bristled brush, brush the washing up liquid and baking soda together, making a paste as you go. Chantel instructed to leave the DIY paste to soak in for 15 minutes.
Once the time is up, the stained clothes should then be washed on their regular cycle. After the wash, the oil stain should disappear.
This extra step done before washing will help remove tough oil stains as baking soda acts as an absorbent. This means that when it’s applied to oil stains, it soaks up the oil and draws it out of the fabric.
By using both washing up liquid and baking soda, you get both the benefits of absorbing the grease and cutting through it. Washing-up liquid helps to break down tough oil stains, loosening them before washing.
Experts at cleaning product company Tide urged anyone dealing with oil stains to act quickly. If there is any excess oil, it should be dabbed with a piece of kitchen roll before attempting to clean off.
However, be careful when using the hack on dark or coloured clothes. Baking soda has the potential to fade or discolour the material’s colour.
This can happen when baking soda is applied to sensitive fabrics or clothes with pH-sensitive dyes. Baking soda’s high pH level can damage protein-based fibres like wool, cashmere, and silk, and may also cause some dyes to fade.
Although baking soda isn’t a bleach, it can have a bleaching effect on coloured fabrics, potentially leading to discolouration.
