How to remove bicycle grease from clothing?

How to remove bicycle grease from clothing? - Helpful tips

If you are into cycling, then you are obviously familiar with such a thing as bike grease stains. Such grease stains are problematic and difficult to remove from clothing or equipment. Even those who are not professionals, but have ridden a bike at least once, they have come across such bike grease stains.

You can be a very careful person, but getting a spot like this is very easy, as you can get into the hole and your foot will slip off the bike chain, so you will get bike grease. Moreover, you need to know how to remove bike grease if you are fixing your bike yourself, than you will have greasy clothes anyway. So there is a question: how to get bike grease out of clothes?

But cyclists should not be upset, as there are several options for reliably getting rid of fresh grease stains, even on delicate material. Read on for these tips to help you and make your clothing wash routine easier.

And how to remove these bike grease stains?

In order to remove grease stains, you need dishwashing liquid. You need to apply dishwashing liquid to the resulting stain, and in order for it to spread, apply mechanical action, this can be rubbing with an old toothbrush. After that, you need to get rid of the dishwashing liquid on the fabric, for this you need to rinse the clothes with cold water. Once done, the clothes can be machine washed with your usual laundry detergent.

The algorithm for removing bike grease may be identical for each material, but the cleaner may change.

To clean the grease, you can use the following options:

  • Washing powder or liquid laundry detergent
  • Regular shampoo or bar soap
  • Baking soda
  • Dedicated great grease remover

For every professional, such spots are a constant problem, and usually not a single day passes without their appearance. Therefore, it is important for a beginner to know how to remove bike grease stains, because not even all pro-cyclists can solve this problem.

Regardless of what type of fabric the stain is on, you need to start removing the grease out of clothes as soon as possible. Since, depending on the amount of time this stain is on the fabric, the more difficult it will be to remove. It can also cause leftover grease stains.

It is also worth remembering that fabric reacts differently to bicycle grease stains, so the process of bike grease stain removal may either take longer or be different in general.

In order not to harm the clothes and not spend a lot of time, it is worth studying the tag on the clothes and understanding what is best suited for this type of fabric.

Due to the recommendations from the manufacturer during the wash process, you can not use unnecessary functions of the washing machine. In the event that there is no tag on the clothes, or you are in doubt, then you do not need to wash the entire stain immediately and treat with a cleaning solution. First, apply a tiny drop of cleaner to a small part of the greasy spot and check for fabric reaction. If the fabric reacts positively, you can fully treat the stain and wash it.

If you have sensitive skin:

Buy protective gloves for the washing process if you have problematic or sensitive skin.

Now, knowing all the general information, you can consider the various cleaning methods that are used to remove grease stains.

How dishwashing liquid can help?

In most cases, dishwashing liquid will help with the grease removal process. In particular, such a liquid is best for cleaning bike grease on synthetic fabrics or cotton. To do this, follow the following sequence of actions:

First stage:

Apply a few drops of dishwashing liquid to bike chain grease. This comes as a surprise to many people, since everyone is used to using this dish detergent, but it can just as well remove oil stains from your dirty clothes. Therefore, this will be a revelation for many people.

In the event that you received tough grease stains, then you can use the solution. It’s incredibly easy to make, all you have to do is mix dish liquid with baking soda. This will be a thick paste-like mixture. To clean, take a regular toothbrush or a soft regular brush and gently rub.

Second stage:

You will now need cold water to rinse the fabric. After that, let the clothes lie down for about five minutes. Now you need to turn on the cold water again and place the fabric under it, but not with the stain up, the grease stain should be at the bottom. This must be done so that the contaminated water flows down, and does not seep further into the fabric.

Third stage:

Now you need to wash the clothes, but as mentioned before, you need to wash according to the information on the label. After washing is complete, iron the garment and hang it to dry. Now check if there is a stain. As the clothes dry, you may notice a stain, as it may not be visible on wet fabrics.

If you see that the stain remains, then you need to repeat the wash cycle until it will be completely removed. It is very important to air dry clothes and not in a tumble dryer. The heat, on the contrary, impresses the bike grease more strongly into the fabric. After the dryer, the stain can become a permanent grease spot.

Additional Information:

If you have dried bike grease, then there is a slightly different sequence of actions. On the stained area, first apply talcum powder, and then leave this powder for ten minutes. After that, you need to repeat the list of steps that was described above.

The powder has absorbent properties that partially absorb the grease. After that, the stain will be easier to remove stains.

How biological laundry detergent can help?

This method works best for synthetic fabrics. Grease removal steps:

First stage:

Firstly, you need washing powder, this will be the pre-treatment of clothes. You need to apply a little powder, then start rubbing, this must be done slowly and carefully so as not to damage the fabric. After that, you need to leave the stain for fifteen minutes for the powder to react.

Second stage:

Now you need to wash the grease stain, the water should be at a cold temperature. By analogy with the previous method, you need to put clothes stain down.

Third stage:

Now you need to wash and dry. This stage is also similar to the previous method. Be sure to air dry your clothes.

Additional Information:

Delicate fabrics must be taken into account. If your clothes are made from delicate fabrics, then you should definitely read the label, and in order not to risk it, it is better to give the contaminated clothes to a professional dry cleaner.

How baking soda can help?

Baking soda is a good option as it’s a natural cleaner and a great substitute for harmful chemicals. Baking soda is suitable for most types of fabrics.

Sprinkle baking soda over grease stain and leave for 8 hours. After that, all steps will be identical with the previous options.

How bar soap can help?

You need to lather the stain with bar soap. Bar soap removes grease stains not only from the human body, but also from clothes. For stubborn grease stains, you will need a laundry detergent.

You also need vinegar to rinse the stain again after you rinse it with water. You need to dilute vinegar with water, two parts water and one part vinegar. Then goes the same method of washing.

How hot water and stain remover can help?

You need to apply the stain remover to the black grease stain and rub it off. After that, you need to give time to solidify.

You can pour hot water from above, this must be done from a sufficiently high distance, this will increase the power of fat splitting.

After that, you need to repeat the normal wash cycle.

Natural cleansing options

It is not always necessary to use chemicals to remove unwanted stains, as there are eco-friendly options. But it is worth remembering that the most effective options will be those that are water-based or with the addition of citrus, like lemon juice.

How oil bar soap can help?

This organic soap can do a great job with bike chain stains. For example, soaps based on coconut oils are actively used. You can also add lemon juice or lavender oil. The principle of cleaning is exactly the same as with ordinary soap.

Does bike grease stain clothes?

In most cases, bike grease permanently stains clothes, since cycling is an active movement in which the legs are actively moving and can come into contact with the bike chain.

Does WD-40 remove grease stains from clothes?

Yes, WD-40 removes stains, as it has the property of breaking molecular bonds in fat molecules. Because of this, WD-40 can also remove old stains.

Can grease stains be removed from clothes?

With a few simple steps, you can remove stains from clothes. In the classic version of cleaning, you need to apply detergent, rub the fabric, rinse with water, and then wash.

How do you clean bike grease?

You need to apply detergent, then gently wipe and leave for a few minutes. After that, you need to rinse the stain and leave the fabric with the stain down so that the water flows out, and not into the fabric. Now you can wash your clothes as usual.

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I'm Daniel Riley, I am a sports coach and I live a sports life. I maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise, food and nutrition. I want to share useful information with like-minded people, with those who want to change their lives for the better.

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