Types

• A number of culprits can cause oil spots. If someone unknowingly steps in oil in the street, garage or driveway and then walks through the house, you will probably wind up with a spot or two on your carpet. A lipstick left in someone's pocket can cause oil spots on laundry, as can an old dryer that is leaking grease. Cooking oil can splatter onto clothing, and greasy foods can drip onto shirts or pants. If a family member is a mechanic or otherwise works with greasy machinery, he can come home with many oils spots.
  
  

Identification

• Oil spots may appear dry but carry a rancid odor. An oil or grease stain will usually appear in a circular pattern when caused by a splatter or a have a smudged appearance, if wiped on by someone's hands. "Ring around the collar" is really body oil stains. Small black or gray spots, typically a half inch to an inch in diameter, are probably oil spots caused by someone's shoes.
  
  

Significance

• It might seem that clothing made from treated fabric, such as durable press or soil release, would be easier to treat for oil spots. However, oily stains actually have a tendency to adhere to these types of fabrics more than untreated versions, making the spots more difficult to clean. Oil spots are also harder to remove from textured materials and knits, as the oil seeps into the grooves and crannies of the fabric.
  
  

Considerations

• Once fabric has been washed and dried with the oil spot, it will be even more set into the material. Check clothing items carefully before tossing them in the laundry. Using pre-treatment products on greasy stains will make them much more likely to come out. On the same note, the sooner you are able to treat a spot, the better your chance of removing it.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• To remove an oil spot from carpet, dampen a white paper towel or clean white rag with rubbing alcohol and blot the area. Work from the outer edges of the spot towards the center. Do not rub the stain. To quickly treat oil spots on clothing, rub the area with a damp bar of bath soap or dish soap. Turn the fabric inside out and place a towel directly under the spot. Rub the soap into the backside of the area. The soap will work the grease out of the fabric onto the towel.