Oil and grease family: degrease, then hot wash
How to get diesel out
Petroleum fuel: oily, smelly and a fire risk in the dryer.
Do this first
Air the garment outside until the smell fades
Fresh stain
- Air the garment outside until the smell fades
- Blot and cover with cornstarch
- Work in heavy dish soap or a degreaser
- Wash hot, alone
- Line dry, never the dryer while any smell remains
Dried or old
- Repeat dish soap and wash
- Air out again
- Fabric care
- Fire risk: petroleum residue in a dryer can ignite. Heavily soaked clothes should be discarded.
- Time
- Air out hours, then 30 min
- How to tell
- Look: dark, wet-looking patch; Feel: oily; Smell: diesel
Where this fix comes from
- Household folk practice, checked against the guides above
- University of Illinois Extension, Stain Solutions
We check every fix against these published guides. We do not run a test lab of our own.
Before you start
- Test on a hidden seam first.
- Never mix cleaners.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.