Use a Dish-Soap Degrease for This Stain

Use a Dish-Soap Degrease for This Stain

Grease and oil repel water, which is why a plain rinse leaves an oily mark behind. Dish soap contains surfactants, molecules with one end that grabs water and another that grabs oil, and they wrap around grease so it can be rinsed away. For a fresh spot on washable clothes, work a few drops of liquid dish soap or heavy-duty liquid detergent directly into the stain, then launder in the hottest water the care label allows; the Soap and Detergent Association's guide calls for a grease solvent or detergent first and hot water for oily stains. Cornell Cooperative Extension's stain guide uses 1 teaspoon of mild hand dish detergent per cup of warm water for tougher spots.

For carpet, rugs and upholstery, dilute first. The Carpet and Rug Institute's spot solution is 1/4 teaspoon of clear, nonbleach dishwashing liquid per cup of cool water, and Shaw Floors gives the same amount in warm, not hot, water, naming Dawn, Joy or clear Ivory. CRI says to apply solutions to a cloth or paper towel rather than pouring on the carpet, and Shaw says to blot, never rub or scrub, or a fuzzy area may result. Then follow up with plain water to remove detergent residue, which Shaw says turns sticky and causes rapid resoiling. Finish by pressing dry towels on the spot.

Watch the amount. Too much soap leaves residue that Shaw says re-soils quickly, so rinse with plain water. Use a clear dish soap, as CRI and Shaw both specify, and test in an out-of-sight corner first, especially on light carpet. Skip hot water on unknown stains; Shaw calls for warm, not hot. On washable clothes, check the fabric after washing and keep the item out of the dryer until every trace of the stain is gone, since the Soap and Detergent Association says heat can set a stain.

Dish soap alone is mild, but the combinations around it are not. Do not add bleach, ammonia or another cleaner to the bottle or bucket, and rinse the area before using anything else on it. Shaw Floors notes that bleaches and even acne products with benzoyl peroxide can permanently damage carpet. If a white vinegar rinse helps with residue, use it as a separate step after the soap is rinsed out. If a cleaning product was mixed by accident, or someone breathes fumes or swallows some, move to fresh air, open windows and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (America's Poison Centers, US). Call 911 for trouble breathing, chest pain or collapse.

Source: Carpet and Rug Institute, Simple Stain Removal Tips and Tricks; Shaw Floors, Carpet Care and Maintenance; Cornell Cooperative Extension, Removing Stains at Home; Soap and Detergent Association, Removing Stains from Washable Fabrics (as hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension); Missouri Poison Center, Some Things Just Don't Mix. Note: dilution amounts come from carpet-maker and extension guidance, confirm on your product label.

General household-cleaning guidance, not medical or professional advice. The label on your product always wins; never mix cleaning products. For a poisoning emergency call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US), or 911 if someone has trouble breathing.

How Dish-soap degrease compares

* Illustrative starting amounts and notes, rounded -- use the calculators below for your exact numbers, and always check your product label.