How to get grease out of cloth?
 

My wife put a chair cushion for our outdoor furniture on top of my table saw.
I was working on my bike and I was kind of careless and got some bike grease on it.
She tried to clean it but its not coming out. Any ideas how to clean it?
Its my chance to make up for my screw up.

Thanks

A few things that have worked for me.
-Dawn dishsoap poured directly on the stain and let sit for awhile and do some light scrubbing before rinsing. Avoid using hot water until the stain is gone as it can set the stain permanently.
-Regular laundry detergents with the same method as above.
-Waterless hand cleaners from the auto supply using the above method.

Probably a few more methods on the internet that work but you probably already have these cleaners. Also your wife needs to understand that precious tools and machinery are sacred and not to be abused with random household items. :mad: (Use your discretion with that advice though)

x2 on handcleaner. i like fast orange, personally. but, gojo...whatever. a nylon scrub brush, hot water, and enough applications of the cleaner until you get all the grease to rinse out. speaking of which, if you have a pressure washer, great. if not, garden hose it out. keep working it. the grease will come out. atf is the only thing i've never been able to remove from fabrics satisfactorily (relatively speaking). that stuff is evil!!!!

edit: the previous poster's statement of hot water has not been my experience. however, use the hand cleaner to scrub with the brush before hot water. and, use the water sparingly. just enough to keep the area "fluid"

What were you doing to you bike with a table saw?

Buy a new cushion cover?

Bike was a frame in a build stage. That cushion seemed like a convenient place to lay it down. OOPS
The table saw is a brand new Grizzly. It has been sitting there for months with no use because I have not had the time to use it.

I regularly remove chain grease spots off my work slacks with "Goop" (waterless hand cleaner). I rub it in, then let it sit overnight. Next step is to work the Goop into the stain with a fingernail (or a plastic spoon). Rinse in warm water then throw in the washing machine. This works quite well.

BrakeKleen with thick paper towels or terry cloth to blot it out. Apply the cleaner and blot from the opposite side of the fabric. Use the BrakeKleen in the red label can (trichlorethylene stuff). Test it first to make sure the fabric dye or pattern doesn't fade. Petroleum products can really bind to synthetic fabrics but I've found good solvents can greatly reduce or eliminate a stain.

I work in the hydraulics industry. I get hydraulic oil and grease on my clothes all the time, sometimes not noticing the spot until after the clothes have come out of the dryer. Dawn dish soap will remove the oil even after it has been thru the dryer.

Dye it the color of the grease stain. ;)

Send the item to me. I will take it to my sister in laws house, and she will get the stain out. I do it all the time. That girl has some kind of magic when it comes to removing any kind of stain from cloth!

Another vote for waterless hand cleaner. GOOP, Fast Orange, etc. Scour the stain with the hand cleaner, then rinse with water. I've removed some set in chain grease stains this way.
YMMV

I have a grizzly saw as well, works good as a cushion holder I never new. :)

I have the 5hp cabinet with the router wing, it paid for itself with all the custom cabinets, fireplace mantle, tables, and windows.

As for the grease, sorry to hear about that.

New Wife Day.

"You got cushion on my new table saw**********? How could you do that********************???? I needed that grease!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Spot Shot is a good cleaner, but I would test it on an inconspicuous area. Otherwise, Dawn is one of the best degreasers. If the cover has a zipper at the rear so the cover can be removed, put something like a plastic bag behind it so the cushion won't absorb anything and use a soft bristle brush to work the detergent into the stain, let it sit and use a shop vac with a cloth over the nozzle to lift the detergent and the stain. Repeat, as needed. If the rest of the cushion looks different, treat the whole surface to make it look like it wasn't stained.

If the cushions don't have a zipper on the back, you could take them to an upholsterer to have one installed on each one, so cleaning will be easier.

A Penny of Prevention is worth a pound of cure. Wax your chains.

still married? how's the stain?

Even though I've treated a lot of stains, for something important, irreplaceable or valuable - take it to a professional cleaner and have them assess it and pay them a few bucks to treat it professionally. Maybe give it a try yourself, but don't be afraid to take it to a pro. It won't cost very much, I'd be surprised if it was more than $10.

But the most important part is if you're trying to wash it or treat the stain, never put the item in the dryer unless you're sure the stain is gone or has been treated as well as it can be. Always air dry until you're at that point.

For DIY: The above comments are probably worth while. But I've always just used a laundry stain product that specifies grease on it. Can't tell you any specific brands off hand, but look at the labels. Some are better for food, some grass stains, some specify grease.

Then follow the directions which usually involve rubbing it in, letting it sit and then wash in as hot of water as allowed by the fabric. I usually just use "hot", but with a cushion cover like that you might experience fading if the water's too hot.

Then, let it air dry to see if the stain is gone. Don't put it in the dryer because that will set whatever stain is remaining and make it more difficult, if not impossible to remove. If the stain isn't gone, do the treatment again. Sometimes it never gets better after the first try, sometimes it gets better and it takes two or three treatments.

I also have a stain "kit" with a variety of substances and guidelines for treating various types of stains on various types of materials - carpets, upholstery, clothing, etc. Different substances for different stains and/or material.