I put the 'no wash' method to remove grease from clothing to the test — and the results surprised me

I’m always careful when I'm cooking and eating to protect my clothes from grease splatters, but sometimes even the most careful among us get oil on our clothes. And as a mom, I know that some members of my family aren’t quite as careful.

I’ve had many bad laundry days when I’ve battled not just grease stains but also chocolate, and coffee stains, as well as dirty mud and grass stains. So when I come across a cleaning hack to make my laundry life easier, I’m the first to try it.

I’ve already successfully removed grease stains from clothing using baking soda and dish soap, before putting the item in my washing machine, but I haven’t tried a ‘no wash’ method before.

So, when I spotted Elina Huume’s @home.with.leanne Instagram post, I had to give it a go. In fact, Humme admits that she’s not the first to share the laundry hack, and she doubted at first that it would work.

How to use the 'no wash' method to remove grease stains

She starts by saying, “I always assumed that some oil stains on kids’ clothes were there for good. I was pretty skeptical… but the stain actually lifted. I didn’t even need to rewash it.”

Although Humme used the hack to remove grease stains from some kids’ pants, I tried it on a napkin, just in case the stain-removal method didn’t work.

Here are the steps I followed:

1. Place the fabric on a folded towel, but you could place it directly on an ironing board.

2. Pour a small amount of baking soda onto the stain and rub it in gently.

3. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the stain.

4. Take a hot iron (check your garment label to find out how hot you can go).

5. Move the iron across the parchment paper to lift the stain.

6. Remove the paper and brush away the baking soda.

7. Repeat if needed.

With a bit of luck, your stain should have disappeared.

I could still see a glimpse of the stain after following the steps above, so I repeated the process and the stain lifted.

Look at the final result below.

Bottom line

You may still want to put your garment through the wash, but unlike using the baking soda and dish soap stain-removing method, you won’t be left with a wet mark. But sometimes you may not be able — or have time — to get the cycle on.

Would I use this hack again? It's a definite yes. And, this 'no wash' method is certainly worth trying if you're caught in a jam and you need to wear the item straight away.

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