J Miller

What kind of sewing machine oil are you using that has such a detergent resisting smell? I can't smell the stuff I use even raw from the bottle.

Joe

NopahDesertRat

Oil eater, from the Automotive department works wonders. So does Spray n Wash in the aerosol spray can, not the bottle.. oil eater works best, like on spatters from cooking grease.

Ethel

SteveH

I cannot praise Oil Eaters enough.. stuff is kinda like magic.... What driveways stains?

riutzelj

my thrift shop cleaner upper combination: Pre-treat spot with Dawn, then wash in a load with Tide detergent, 1/2 c. Cascade dishwasher soap and a tad bit of boraxo. Gets almost all stains and smells out, even baby yuck

JAGSD

Murphy's oil soap, I use it all the time for boys and hubby's mechanic shop oil stains and etc......

madamekelly

My DS swears by crest toothpaste for removing diesel oil from fabric. Her DH used to wear khaki shorts to drive so she became quite the diesel fuel remover expert. She applies the crest with a denture brush, gives it a good scrub, and then washes as usual. Works!

w1613s

My drum corps children taught me the virtues of soaking in Oxyclean and the hottest water the fabric can survive. (I shudder to remember what their clothes looked like when they got back after a summer touring all over the US.) I use the water right out of the hot water machine on the edge of the sink - almost boiling.

The kids also taught me about the joys of using a sizable dollop of Cascade in some more of that hot water. Another soak situation.

There seems to be a chemical called a "wetter" in those two products that makes the difference. (Please do not ask what the chemistry of a wetter is. Inorganic chemistry and lab almost killed me in school.) Interestingly enough, Tide also has a wetter. Maybe not as much?

A caveat. I do not know what the above witches' brews will do to colors/some fibers. If you are about to soak something you cannot stand to lose, please think twice. If it already "lost," there's nothing to lose.

Gonna go pack the rv for a couple of days at the beach. Shakedown cruise. See if all the repairs and "out of mothballs" effort really are good to go.

Pat

GreyQ

It was Singer Sewing machine oil that I've had for at least 20 years. There was only a little bit left in the small bottle but enough to make a mess. I stuck it in my pocket just to get my hands free to move a machine and so it wouldn't tip over on the floor and the sweatshirt just sucked it up when I bent over. My own dang fault but I'm glad because there's been a lot of ideas and advice offered here that I'm certain I'm not the only one who can use at sometime or other.

SteveH

a "wetter" is a product that breaks down the surface tension of liquid (usually water)

you can very carefully overfill a glass of water so that there is a bit actually above the lip.. the surface tension of the water will hold it in place. ONE drop of dawn or any other "wetter" will break the tension and the water above the lip pours off. That significantly aids in cleaning.

It is a Fun and safe experiment with kids. I showed my DD's when they were in single digits and they spent the better part of an afternoon filling glasses with water...hehe

Macybaby

I know it's off topic, but a few drops of Dawn mixed in to "mud" for sheetrock work really does well to help break the surface tension and allow a much smoother skimming.

Another neat "lesson" is to take a shallow dish of water, sprinkle pepper or something that floats on top, then take just a fingertip of Dawn and touch the very edge of the water.