How to Get Bike Grease out of Clothes

Did the grease of your bike got to your favorite shirt or pants, it may sound like the end of the world or you may feel like it’s not your day, but worry not; we are here to tell you that you are not alone, we’ve been there and, it happens. And you have come to the right place cause we’ll be sharing all we know on how to get bike grease out of clothes.

Whether you are a ciclying enthusiast or not, if you’ve ever ridden a bike and keep propper maintanacene, there’s a chance that you may get a bike grease; now it’s all too frequent for bikers who usually know a few tips to avoid this annoyance, however it may not be the case for first timers.

Normally grease stains or marks occur during bike maintenance and tire changing or while chain adjustment. Usually, a simple bike process or even a straightforward maintenance routine can leave dirty marks all over your clothes. Luckily, several essential grease removal methods/techniques will help you get rid of annoying bike grease stuck on your garments.

What is bike grease?

There are three different types of bike lube, and grease is one of them.
Grease is heavier, waterproof lubrication generally used in places on the bike you don’t take apart or see too often. It has two key but quite different functions:

• To keep key components moving and free from water entering
• To help places of static metal to metal connection from seizing up

Grease is heavily used to keep moving parts of the bike running freely. You will find it in the bearings of your wheels, bottom bracket, and headset and also in the moving parts of your brakes and gear levers. Grease is also employed to prevent parts from seizing up.

The key static areas on which to use grease are saddle posts and bolt threads. These components sit against metal for long periods of time under pressure and can seize up, making them difficult to remove. It is highly recommended to grease any bolt before tightening on a bike, and once every few months, removing your saddle post, cleaning it down, and regreasing to prevent it seizing to the frame.
Here is where you can easily get your clothing stained; the good thing is, stains from the bikes are not meant to be permanent.

Ways to remove bike grease

With the following cleaning methods, you’ll surely be successful in removing those stubborn greasy marks without breaking a sweat! And you won’t be losing any of your clothes to stains.

Dishwashing Liquid

Dishwashing liquid is your best choice when treating bike grease stains on cotton and synthetic fabrics. Follow this simple steps.

1. Like it breaks down grease and oil stains on your dishes, dishwashing liquid has the same effect on removing grease from your clothes.
   If you are dealing with very stubborn grease stains, try using a thick paste containing a mixture of dishwashing liquid and a little baking soda. Find an old toothbrush and use it to rub the paste into the stain gently.
2. Rinse the stain with cold water -Allow the fabric to sit for about two minutes, then place it under a running cold water tap for a few minutes with the grease-stained part facing down.
3. According to instructions on the care label, wash your piece of clothing -Hang your piece of attire and allow it to air-dry as you check on the stain to see if it has disappeared.

We like Palmolive Ultra Dish Soap Oxy Power Degreaser. Attacks Grease and Stains (fights hard to clean surface stains like coffee). Find it on Amazon.

Baking Soda

If you got stains on silk, wool, or other delicates, this method is highly recommended, doesn’t matter if you are working on fresh and dried grease stains.

1. Using baking soda, cover the entire stain and leave overnight. The powder has the ability to absorb the grease, and you’ll be able to brush it off afterward, leaving the fibers undamaged effortlessly.
2. Wash the garment according to the care label instructions. Delicate items can often be washed in the machine on a ‘delicates’ cycle, but sometimes a hand wash may be the way to go.

We like Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, 1 lb. It is use for baking, cleaning, deodorizing and more. Find it on Amazon.

How to Get Bike Grease out of Clothes with Bar Soap

Bar soap, the same you use on your hands actually works great in removing grease stains, but make sure that it isn’t abrasive as it can damage the fabric of your clothing.

1. Get a bit of warm water on the stain and the surrounding area, and then rub the bar of soap on it.
2. Let it sit for a few minutes so that it can break down the grease. Using a soft toothbrush, brush the stain away.
3. Rinse thoroughly under cool, running water and make sure to get all the bar soap out – it tends to get stuck in fabric fibers.
4. Launder the garment according to instructions and then let it air-dry.

We like The Laundress – Wash & Stain Bar, Vegetable Soap, Borax & Essential Oils, Laundry Soap Bar and Stain Remover, Travel and Wash Clothes, Allergen-Free. Find it on Amazon.

Shampoo

Your shampoo isn’t only meant for your hair, it can do a fantastic job of getting rid of a bike grease stain. This shampooo tecnique works well for light stains on delicate fabrics. It is not really recommended for deep bike grease stains on jeans or cotton garments.

1. Apply a layer of shampoo on the stain and let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes.
2. Scrub gently
3. Rinse with running, cool water, and let the garment dry naturally.

We like this Degrease Shampoo for Oily Hair Care. Degrease is one of the most popular purifying shampoo oily hair formulas. Find it on Amazon.

How to Get Bike Grease out of Clothes with Biological laundry detergent

Biological laundry detergent does a great job on synthetic fabrics such as nylon, polyester, acrylic, and spandex. You may want to use another method of dealing with delicate fabrics.

1. Lay the garment out on a flat surface.
2. Apply a small amount of the biological washing powder directly on the stain.
3. After reading the care instructions carefully, dip a cotton swab in cool water and rub it on the underside of the garment, directly below the stain.
4. Let the detergent sit for a few minutes, and then run cool water on the stain. You’ll see the grease stain slowly fading away. If the stain isn’t going out entirely, repeat the steps.
5. Wash the garment as you usually do and let it air dry.

We like this Seventh Generation Concentrated Laundry Detergent, Stain Fighting Formula, Free & Clear Unscented. Find it on Amazon.

General Guidings?

It needs to be said that you need not to rely on dangerous chemicals to get rid of bike grease stains.

1. The first thing you want to do is wash the piece of cloth with sufficient water. You can use baking soda, corn starch, soaps, dishwasher liquid, shampoo, laundry detergent, and heat blast methods are also available.
2. If the stain you got is fresh, and if you haven’t used any washer and dryer yet, try sprinkling baking soda on top of the stain.
3. Pour sufficient dish soap onto the grease to cover it fully.
4. Leave the dish soap or baking soda on the stained clothing for around five to ten minutes.
5. If your bike grease stain is already dry, then you can use a minimal amount of cornflour and talcum on the stain and wait for around five minutes. The powder will absorb some of the grease stains, and then you can easily brush it off.

How to Get Bike Grease out of Clothes – Other Tips to keep in mind

• Suppose possible to start to treat the grease stain as early as it happens. Otherwise, removing the grease stain will be tougher.
• Be sure that the stain is gone from the cloth before using the dryer. Remember, dryers can make the stain permanent on the fabric.
• If possible, you can wear suitable rubber gloves while applying these cleaning methods to help protect your hands.

Read: How to get coconut oil out of clothes