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Home / Cleaning Guides / Clothing & Fabrics / Furniture / How to Remove Grease Stains from Upholstery

How to Remove Grease Stains from Upholstery

Table of Contents:
  1. You Will Need
  2. Steps to Remove the Grease Stain
  3. Additional Tips and Advice

E asked, “This is so embarrassing but my husband used a suppository and sat on my chair not realizing that some of it was on his pajamas. This chair was upholstered and was scotch guarded. I tried to remove it first with soap and water but it didn’t work. I also tried to remove with a stain remover and that didn’t work. Any suggestions?”

Suppositoriesdownsofa are made from a variety of items, all of which have a lubricating effect. While some are impossible to remove, others are simple greases and oils and can be removed with the methods below.

You Will Need:

  • Corn starch or
  • Talc powder
  • Dawn dish liquid
  • Citrus degreaser
  • Upholstery cleaner
  • Ammonia
  • Bucket
  • Soft cloths
  • Wet vac (optional)

Steps to Remove the Grease Stain:

  1. When grease stains show up on upholstery, acting fast will put the chances of removal in your favor.
  2. Begin by covering the stained area with talc powder or corn starch. Either of these will absorb the grease and pull it out of the fabric. Remove with a vacuum.
  3. Next, apply a few drops of Dawn dish liquid or another grease-fighting dish liquid to the surface of the stain and rub it in gently with your fingers. It is best to use a clear dish liquid to avoid potentially getting a dye stain.
  4. Allow it to set for a minute or two.
  5. Blot the stain with a clean cloth moistened with plain water to rinse. Continue blotting until the soap is removed. If a wet vac is available, it will help to pull out the water and soap more quickly, but is not required.
  6. If the stain persists, mix a small amount of ammonia with some warm water. Test a hidden area first to ensure there is no damage to the color or texture of the upholstery. If all goes well, blot the mixture onto the stained area.
  7. Rinse by blotting again with a clean cloth moistened with plain water.
  8. If the stain still remains, spray on a citrus degreaser. These are effective in removing all kinds of grease stains.
  9. Blot with a clean cloth.
  10. Rinse by blotting with a cloth moistened with plain water, or using a wet vac.
  11. Finally, finish the cleaning process by applying a general upholstery cleaner. This will help remove any cleaning residue left from the various cleaning products used.
  12. Rinse thoroughly with plain water.
  13. Allow the area to dry completely.

Additional Tips and Advice

  • If none of the above methods remove the stain, it is likely that it will not come out. Consider adding a decorative throw or pillows to cover the stained area.
  • Always test a hidden area first before applying cleaning products to the main part of the upholstery. This will ensure that there are no surprise effects.
  • The above steps provide several options to combat grease stains. Once the stain is removed, there is no need to continue with the remaining cleaners. It may be helpful to allow the fabric to dry in between applications to accurately assess how much of the stain is left.

Cleaning Guides, Furniture

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About the Author

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Susan

I'm a stay-at-home mom who used to run a small housecleaning business. These days I consider myself more or a mad cleaning-scientist. I do most of the testing for our articles - as well as helping Mark & Melanie write them.

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Comments

  1. Mark says

    March 27, 2013 at 12:03 am

    Hope it works…

    Reply
  2. Irma says

    June 19, 2013 at 11:26 pm

    Upholstery stains come out by rubbing with a damp cloth dipped in full strength Avon bubble bath. Do not wet the sponge with water. Water may leave a stain, the bubble bath won’t.

    Reply
  3. Guru says

    May 20, 2014 at 1:34 pm

    I tried the Dawn dish liquid with hot bottled water and Johnsons baby powder. Oil stain came out like it was never there. So happy. Poured the Dawn and hot water mixture on the stain, rubbed it with an absorber. Then, put the powder on the wet areas. Let it sit until totally dry, then vacuum out.

    Reply
  4. Jill says

    September 26, 2014 at 10:52 am

    Well, after an hour of scrubbing the blue soap out of my chair, it looks terrible…don’t use Dawn. I used it sparingly and it is still in there…what the heck? Now I have grease AND Dawn staining my chair.

    Reply
    • Anna says

      October 14, 2017 at 12:28 am

      Too late to help you this time; however, I recently found Dawn available in a color-free formula–I guess the ducks I usually see in Dawn’s commercials aren’t sensitive to artificial dyes.

      Reply

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