oil spill on upholstery-Yipes!

17 years ago

What a problem!

I spilled some candle oil- I guess that's what it is. The clear oil that is inside of a decorative candle that is lit with a wick and burns for a long time.

Well, now it's caused a big stain on my chair which has a woven rugged material. I've tried regular upholstery foam cleaner but know I have to use something that will absorb the oil. Anybody have a good idea that will work?

It's much appreciated! The stain is right in the front so it looks as though I'm the one who's had a "little accident" on the chair.

Thanks in advance for anyone who can rescue me!

Thanks,

Nancy

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Comments (6)

groomingal
17 years ago
Nancy-oh my.
Simple solution, you need a solvent. Rubbing alcohol or wd-40 are in most households.
Start by blotting what you can of the oil (if you can take the cushion out of th cover and treat both pieces). Make sure you use a white rag- a color one may bleed onto the fabric. Test a small area with the product.
All systems go? Great, apply the product to the area and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Blot the area again and then apply a detergent (can be a laundry soap or dish soap, not dishwasher but joy or palmolive) directly to the spot and rub it in and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse well, blot, rinse well, blot, blot more, and hopefully VIOLA!
WORD OF ADVICE! DO NOT SMOKE OR DO THIS AROUND OPEN FLAMES!!! SOLVENTS ARE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE! Make sure you have a well ventilated area too!
nancybc
Original Author
17 years ago
Many Many thanks, groomingal!
I hope the upholstery cleaner will not interfere with your suggestion.
I'll wait until the cushiion is 100% dry and then start in.
YOu're a lifesaver!
I'll post the results.
Thanks again!
Nancy
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GammyT
17 years ago
Oh goodness, Rubbing alcohol or WD-40 is the furthest thing from what you want for an oil stain.

Upholstery foam cleaner from a grocery store might have set the stain. Your best bet is go to non giant chain Auto Parts store, tell them you need to clean oil out of upholstery and they can sell you the proper stuff.

The spray foam in the blue can worked miracles and it cost no more than the grocery store stuff. I want to say 3M brand but I don't really remember.
nancybc
Original Author
17 years ago
OH Golly, Thanks to both of you- but now I'm confused as to which way to go. I'll ask at the auto store and then decide.
Thanks to you both for trying to help!

Cheers,
Nancy
groomingal
17 years ago
Nancy,
Check out doityourself.com on how to get rid of oil stains. They have alot of great suggestions, very similar to the one I gave you. I have used wd-40 and rubbing alcohol to get greasy stains off fabric and out of clothing with no problems (maybe a little extra scrubbing)

Gammyt- thanks for that info, I'll stop by to pick some up next time i'm out. I'm sure it's probably safer than using a solvent, hopefully smells better too. With two kids and their greasy clothes, it would be much easier to spray a shot of something and be done with it :)

Nancy-good luck with whichever your try! Let us know what works :)
nancybc
Original Author
17 years ago
Groomingal!
Just an note to thank you for your advice for my oil spill on the chair. I used some WD-40 very sparingly on the cushion after using some foam cleaner that did not work. The WD-40 was just so-so.The best solution was continually cleaning and blotting with a little detergent and water over and over. It would leave rings so I had to keep rinsing with clear water- but eventually the spot has faded until it's barely visable. I know it's there ( you know how that is-lol!) but the casual glance shows a good cushion.
Thank goodness it's a sturdy woven fabric! IF it had been a chintz, velvet, leather or similar it would have been toast!
Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out. It's great when you can bring a problem to a forum and find that a nice person like you responds with a good solution
Cheers,
Nancy

oil spill on upholstery-Yipes!

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oil spill on upholstery-Yipes!

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