Basically, no. Pre-spot and hope for the best. Wait a looooong time between pre-treatment and washing.

Yeah, grease is a tough stain to remove....I usually don't have good luck trying to remove grease stains, as I used to be an auto mechanic, I would try like mad, to remove those stains....

However, with the new Whirlpool Steam FL Washer, this problem might change......The steam (being extremely hot) opens up the fibers of your clothing, to better extract those tough stains.

Be sure to read the directions on the pre-treaters. If you pretreat and wait before washing, sometimes it will lighten the color of khakis, then you will have splotches.

I have a tide brush, which is just like a jumbo electric toothbrush. You can use it to work a pretreater or liquid detergent into the stain before washing. I think it works well. I found a link to one:

Tide Stainbrush

Could you spray your clothes with a protector when they are clean to help repel the stains? I had a relative who used to spray tablecloths with scotchguard.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scotchguard fabric protector

Umm...that "steam" thing is actually not very hot at all. Many have opined that it's mostly a ploy...kinda like the "steam" carpet cleaners that actually do their work with warm water and soap. Good luck with that.

I've heart that PineSol is great for grease stains.
Just apply enough to cover the stain, let it sit for 5 minuted before washing and wash as you normally would.

I was frying chicken the other day and got grease all over one of my favorite lounge shirts. Washed it once with Gain and it didn't budge the grease.

Washed it again (after it had been through the dryer) with Tide HE in my FL and every stain is gone. No pretreating needed.

Justin

Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda also does a good job helping get out grease---at least auto mechanic type.

JustJustin-Are you still liking the Ivory Snow??

I swear by Tide (use HE) - & would pre-treat - I think lestoil prior to washing would cut the grease

I'm finding that Charley's Soap is doing about the best on the stains that get on our cloths.

My recommendation would be tri-fold. Purchase a washer with an internal heater(Temp gets higher than with a regular water heater).
Also, do look into steam options. Even though fairly new, the temp is supposed to be significantly higher and grease needs intense heat to come out of garments.
What I would try, is during clean up at the restaurant, toss your apron into the dishwasher and see if it comes clean.

jejvtr,

No, I'm no longer an Ivory Snow convert. Stains weren't comming out and things were getting dingy.

Justin

This might be a stupid question but should I be washing with the hottest water?
I am always afraid my khakis will shrink and won't fit! :)

PINE-SOL works wonders as a pre-treat for grease and oil. You can also put some in the wash cycle to deodorize and disinfect.

This may sound really stupid, please say so if it is, but why couldn't you use those little dishwasher packs? Since I saw the post on here about Dropps laundry detergent, I been wondering why a dishwasher pack wouldn't work for extremely dirty laundry. They don't make suds of any kind & apparently the plastic pouch just dissolves in water. The kind I have are the Cascade 2-in-1 Action Packs. Would the Cascade be harmful to clothing? I know the Dawn part wouldn't be & it's made to "cut grease". Also, they say to use Cascade to clean your washing machine, so these might also work for that, and obviously won't hurt the machine.

OK, how stupid is that thought? :)

Murphys Oil Soap!!!It is the best at removing stains. I wish I had know about it when my son was a baby. It will get out stains that nothing else can get out.

I've had good success with Dawn dish washing detergent as a stain pretreatment for stubborn food oil stains. Just enough to make the stain wet; if you pour gobs of this on every item you are washing, you'll end up with lots of suds. A diluted solution (50/50 water/Dawn) can work well, also. The longer I let this sit, the better the results.

I've even managed to remove food oil stains that have been through the wash and the dryer. In this case, I have the best luck when I leave the Dawn on the clothes for a long time -- at least an hour, often several hours. I will sometimes then pretreat again (with Zout or Shout or whatever I have) 15 minutes or so before I wash the load.

For really troublesome stains, I'll do a prewash (in my 2003 FridGEmore) with some washing soda added. When the FridGEmore does a prewash, it drains the washer, but does not spin out the clothes, so the sopping wet clothes sit in the washer until I run the wash cycle. I'll sometimes let a load sit in the washer for awhile (sort of like a soak), then run the wash cycle. In general, I get better results with "troublesome" loads by using the prewash cycle, even when I don't let the load "soak" before starting the wash cycle.

Another product that I've used in the past for pretreating is Fels Naptha bar soap for laundry. Wet the stain with cold water, rub the Fels Naptha bar on the wet fabric, and rub the fabric around until you work up a little suds. Continue to add water and soap until you have the stain thoroughly wet and "sudsy". Then let the garment sit for awhile. I'm not sure how this will work on YOUR grease stains, but I could remove grass stains from my daughter's clothes when she was younger using this method.

I am not washing Khakis, so I can't vouch for whether any of these methods will discolor the fabric. I've had problems before with consumer laundry pretreatments changing the color of the fabric if left on too long. Have not had that problem with Dawn, however.

CMC

I'm bumping this up to see if there are any thoughts on the Cascade Action Packs. Anybody...

Alrighty, let's try this again...

When we get grease on things, I spray the spot(s) with engine cleaner... an aerosol found in the auto parts store... designed to spray on your engine and then be hosed off to make your engine loose the build up of kaka it gets over time. It does have a definite odor... when I do this, I wash the load twice... once to wash it, and a second time to eliminate the odor for good. Requires the extra wash (I think) but really works on the grease....

mc hudd. .
You got me to thinking about using the Cascade action packs... .I am going to try that. I think it's a great idea! I remember years ago when we wore a lot of polyester and to keep the white's white I would use cascade powder. We didn't have Biz or anything like that back then and Clorox could not be used on polyester but the Cascade would whiten great. I am going to go throw a load in right now. .Thanks for the idea. .Debbie

Ditto on te Dawn...cuts through all grease! DH works in a warehouse and frequently comes home with black grease on his clothing. It works 99% of the time. I pre-treat and then wash with Tide. I add clorox 2 if it's really bad.

Dawn gets my vote as well... I spot treat with it when I get my shirts stained in the kitchen.

Plumbly~ This doesn't hurt the clothing? I'll have to try this. I currently live in a house w/ a TL washing machine, but we will soon be moving to a house w/ my new FL set. My DH works construction & comes home w/ black grease, as Mama said her DH does. I currently use a squirt of Dawn in the washer for the prewash, but know I can't do this w/ a FL b/c of the suds, so was wondering what I could use that would get the grease out, but not make an abundance of suds. Thanks for the tip!

Dbfire~ Please post back & let us know how this goes. I thought I'd heard that Cascade would eat through clothing, but if you've used it than apparently not. Can't wait to hear the results!

Dawn it is for me too. I pretreat any grease stains with dawn, and wash later. Works like a charm.

mchudd... the only problem with the engine cleaner is the smell it leaves behind, which as I mentions seems to go away after a second washing... PITA,but it works. FWIW, I fell on a blacktop driveway that had just been resealed in a pair of brand new tan slacks a few years back... black ka ka all over the knees of both legs.. I was sure they were ruined, but figured what the heck.. they're ruined anyway what do I have to lose... sprayed them tossed them in (with other things to provide 'friction') and when I took them out... ALL was gone!

I do use liquid dishwasher detergent on WHITES with staines of all sorts.. but it has bleach... so donn't use it unless the item in question is white!

Dbfire~ Did you ever try the action packs? Curious to see how this went! :)

"Pine-Sol®, that's all." The Clorox Company

link: Will Original Pine-Sol® Brand Cleaner help to clean greasy work clothes?

link: Pine-Sol® MSDS info

mc_hudd, I don't know if you're still wondering and if this helps, but I've been using dishwasher detergent for a long time as a laundry booster. I started with the Great Value brand from WalMart since it had a good rating on performance in dishwashers, it was cheap, did not have the lemon scent and did not have bleach. It also has enzymes in it which is what I was looking for. I now have been buying SunSations brand from Walgreens, Dollar Tree or wherever else I can get it for about $1/box. Again, has enzymes, no lemon or bleach, cheap and works well. No problem with the clothes. I use about a cup or so in my top loader. This was an idea from some of the old-timers in the forum years ago (seems like they've most all departed) and it's definitely a keeper. Lately I haven't really had to use much and I don't know whether to credit that I switched to Tide Sensitive Skin, perfume/dye free or whether I just don't get my clothes as dirty or a combination. Sometimes I'd let it soak a while before washing, sometimes not.

I still haven't gotten around to trying STPP, which could be of some help. I know the old timers swore by STPP.

Dw detergent contains some of the like same stuff STPP does - phosphates.

If the grease is substancial and still damp, you can sprinkle baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) or washing soda (sodium carbonate) directly onto the stain, waite and let it absorb the excess grease, brush off and rinse. Pretreat or presoak with a good liquid detergent and then wash.

You could also presoak with white vinegar and water.

You could also dampen the fabric and pretreat with a good liquid detergent, let sit and wash.

I mix up my own pretreater with a good liquid laundry detergent like tide, cheer (which I am currently using), or even wisk with water in a spray bottle. For some reason, I have found dampened fabric takes the pretreatment better.

I use dish liquid soap. It has gotten out every grease stain I have put to the test, even long set in stains

Charlie's All Purpose Cleaner

That stuff is AWESOME! It even faded an oil spot from our driveway that had been there for 5 years. Industrial factory soap made for oil did nothing. It had tackled baby puke and all manner of other kid spills/gross stuff. Again, awesome stuff! I am currently converting my entire family to Charlie's fans....

www.charliesoap.com

Pine Sol works as a laundry additive as well. I believe the recommendation is 1/4 cup, but I would use half that initially and see if I needed to increase from there.

Pine Sol ... as I mentioned previously (7) messages up :)

For all that mention Dawn, I agree, however, in a FL I believe Dawn would make too many suds. That's why I was so curious about the Cascade action pacs.

Hmmm, guess I'll just have to try it & see.

Thanks! :)

I use the Spray & Wash Stick. You just rub some on any spot (mostly grease at my house), using it like a giant crayon. You can wash immediately or leave it until you are ready to wash, several days at least. This stuff works great.

be careful with the dishwasher detergent on clothes. They contain bleach and will ruin colors.

Many liquid dish soaps should do well with (animal) grease.

I would be careful using engine cleaners. Most of those are flammable (petroleum distillates).