Cold water only! Hot water will set the stain.

I only wear cotton or other natural fabrics... whenever I get cooking oil stains on my clothing I just take it off and put some original blue Dawn dish soap on the spots and ball it up in my hamper for a few days. Then I wash it like normal, whether it’s a load that gets washed hot or cold hasn’t seemed to matter for me, it comes out every time... even if it had previously been washed and gone through the dryer because I hadn’t noticed I’d gotten oil on it. So maybe that’s the trick... letting the dawn sit there. I don’t use the other colors of dawn or the concentrated stuff, just the original blue stuff in the little bottle that costs less than a buck.

I wear little that isn't natural fabrics and most of it cotton. A little dish soap concentrate (mine is usually lemon Joy) or shampoo, hottest water the piece of clothing can stand and I can usually get cooking oil stains out. Unlike above, I try to treat and wash as soon as possible. Tide Original powder in my washer.

I'd save myself so much grief if I would just take the time to put on an apron. I have them, am just not in the habit of wearing one while cooking and I don't seem to learn.

I flipped a rib steak off a plate into my lap once (my excuse, paper plate, patio). Expensive cotton pants. I didn't even try with those, I took them to the cleaners and asked them to deal with it. They got the stain from meat fat out, I don't know how.

I use Shout Foam for these types of grease stains. It works great and has never caused fabric damage or bleaching.

https://www.shoutitout.com/en-us/products/advanced-grease-busting-foam

I do just like skmom. Treat & toss in the dirty laundry hamper. Works for natural fiber and synthetics, IME>

T

Lestoil. Works every time

I have never had Dawn and hot, hot water fail me. Fels-naptha plus Dawn would be my nuclear option, I guess?

My go to is Carbona Fats & Oils stain pretreat and then washing in at least 100°F water With a good detergent. Sometimes I have to use Citra-solv.

Have you thought about wearing an apron? Cooking oil stains on my clothes went away once I started wearing one.

I agree with pittviper...Lestoil is wonderful to remove grease stains! Wet the spots with the Lestoil, rub it in and wash as normal. Presto, stain is gone.

OxiClean MaxForce FOAM (contains lipase)

Thanks for the various suggestions. Aprons really aren't a solution, since the problem is more in the eating than in the cooking......I said "cooking oil" to differentiate the problem from machine oil, but the issue is really dips and spills while eating. The least little drop of salad dressing or sauce has led to me tossing too many shirts in the recycle pile.

As a former chef I have delt with a ton of grease stains. I actually use zout or puracy stain spray (zout has 3 enzymes, and puracy 6 enzymes) and 1/2 cup of pine sol in the main wash along with detergent (safe for he and non he machines as is pinalen brand). I wash in hot water and never have any stains stick around. For detergent I use either tide with bleach powder for whites or German persil color powder for colors.

I feel your pain. I wish there were adult bibs that didn't make you look/feel like an invalid.

Another vote for shout foam!! Comes in an aerosol can.

It is the detergent/enzymes that shift the stain rather than the temperature. I don't use cold, but wouldn't do higher than 30C/85F. That seems to work even for stains.

I don't know, dadoes. What's the science behind water temperature and oil?

I agree with LittleGreeny. SHOUT ADVANCED GREASE BUSTING FOAM is the ONLY thing that has worked for me. I've tried Dawn and loads of other things, but only the specialized Shout for grease works.

I guess you are going to have to find a bib or just be more careful.

I have ruined a few things with that Shout stuff. If it won't come out with Dawn, I just doubly remember be more careful.

It is amazing how far a splash from an overload fork can go or how much can leak from a sandwich. Get yourself some large napkins to tuck around your neck, at least while you are at home. Holding a sandwich in a napkin can help with that.