Tips for Removing Automotive Stains from Clothing
Oil, grease, gasoline, salt, and coolant are no match against these cleaning techniques
Photo: The News Wheel
Whether you’re working under the hood of your car or just happen to brush up against it in the wrong place, your clothing can be dirtied by potentially staining solvents. Instead of immediately throwing out those clothes or washing them in the machine with the rest of your worn clothes, follow these methods to remove automotive stains from clothing.
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Effective techniques for removing various automotive stains from clothing
Grease and oil: These are the most common fluids you’ll get on your clothing if you come in contact with your car’s mechanical workings. Soak up any grease that hasn’t set or dried by pouring baby powder or cornstarch on the spots. Once all that remains is the stain, scrub it with a toothbrush dipped in dish soap or stain remover before washing the material in warm water. Air-dry the clothing so the heat of the dryer doesn’t adhere any remaining grease permanently before you can re-treat it.
Gasoline: If you’re filling your car at the gas station, and the nozzle dribbles on you, don’t fret. Use the same technique as removing grease.
Antifreeze: That neon-colored coolant looks dazzling in a bottle, but it’s definitely not a color you want to be wearing. Removing an antifreeze stain requires a lot of heat and rinsing. Stretch out the garment and hold it under very hot running water (just don’t let it damage the fabric). Once the water rinsed out what it can, work liquid detergent into the stained spot with a rag. Rinse it under hot water again. Scrub the spot with a color-safe bleach. Finally, run it in the washing machine on hot.
Wiper fluid: Luckily, this is one of the easiest stains to remove. The spot should clear up with some dish soap and hand-rubbing.
Road salt: If you brush up against the side of a salt-covered car during winter, soak the clothing in cool water for a couple hours and then apply some distilled white vinegar using a sponge before tossing it in the washing machine as usual.
Sweat stains: If you’ve been working hard in the garage and built up a sweat, soak the clothes in a mixture of lemon juice and water, scrub the affected area, and treat it with some vinegar before washing it.
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Sources: Rejuvenate, Good Housekeeping, Hunker
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.