How to remove a greasy stain from a down jacket at home

Rules for removing stains from down jackets made of different materials

To completely get rid of grease stains, it is important to consider what material the down jacket is made of:

down and feathers cannot be wetted;
synthetic fillers can be destroyed by exposure to caustic substances;
bologna, nylon, polyester, and other artificial fabrics will be damaged by solvents;
On light-colored fabrics, greasy marks and yellow stains may remain;
Bleaching agents should not be used on black or colored fabrics - the paint may fade.

General terms and Conditions:

carefully study the labels on the clothes - they indicate the composition of the fabric, care recommendations, prohibitions;
any product must first be tested on an inconspicuous area;
prompt action so that the fat does not have time to eat into the fabric and dry out; old stains are more difficult to remove;
if you rub hard, the dirt will be “pressed” even deeper into the threads;
It is better to start removing with a light wash with soapy water; simple stains can disappear immediately;
when processing, you need to move in a circle, from the edge to the middle, so that the greasy stain does not spread and there are no streaks left;
Down jackets are not recommended to be washed in a machine or at temperatures above 40°C.

The easiest way is if the top and lining are ordinary textiles.
Then you can use almost any method - soap, powder, dish soap, ammonia, stain removers. If the fat has not had time to be absorbed, it is enough to sprinkle it with an absorbent, and then shake it off, and wash away the remaining trace. A small spot can be covered with loose paper or thin cotton cloth and ironed with a hot iron. Do not use newspaper - the paint will print on the fabric and leave a stain.

A bologna jacket or down jacket should be cleaned carefully so as not to damage the fabric or spoil its water-repellent properties. Wipe off fat from light-colored clothes with a cut onion, with colored clothes - with lemon, or with a cotton pad dipped in juice. Dilute dry mustard with a small amount of water to a paste, spread on top of the dirt, wait a few hours, and rinse with a damp sponge. This cleaning is suitable for all raincoat fabrics and modern membrane fabrics.

Leather or leather substitutes can be cleaned with glycerin (apply, remove with a damp cloth after 30 minutes). To soften, they need to treat the problem area, even if another method was used.

Special care products are produced for natural and artificial suede, velor, and nubuck. A shiny collar and areas grabbed by your hands can be held over steam for a few minutes, then rubbed with an eraser. Sprinkle greasy stains with absorbent for 15–20 minutes, shake off, then clean with a stiff brush.

Salt

If fat has just dripped onto the product, then generously sprinkle the area with salt. It will absorb fat, after which the item can be cleaned with a cotton pad or washed in a machine.

If the stain is old, then 1 tbsp. Mix salt with water to a porridge consistency, distribute over the problem area and leave for an hour. Remove dried product with a brush. Next, dilute 1 tsp. soda in 200 ml of water and wipe the stain.

Handy products for removing grease stains

You can remove a greasy or oil stain from a down jacket using improvised means, the main thing is that they can break down its structure and absorb it. Salt, laundry soap, starch, and detergent are available in every apartment. These cheap recipes are effective, proven over the years, and the procedure does not require much effort.

Salt, soda

Salt and soda perfectly absorb any dirt and pull it out of the threads. Use together or each independently. When the fat is still wet, simply cover it with them for half an hour. You can get rid of dried marks using a soda-salt mixture: take equal parts, dilute thickly with water, spread, leave for a couple of hours, peel off, wipe with a damp cloth. The salt should be finely ground so that the crystals do not scratch the material.

Emergency help for fresh greasy stains on paper
Review of remedies for old greasy marks on a jacket
Preparing suede before removing grease stains

Soap

Classic laundry soap (72%) perfectly breaks down organic structures. It is enough to sprinkle a fresh greasy stain with soap shavings for 30 minutes. You can make an aqueous solution, wash the damaged area with it, and rinse with clean water. Using a sponge, you can easily remove oily shine from pockets, sleeves, and the collar of a down jacket.

Dishwashing liquid

Dishwashing detergents are originally designed to remove grease. With their help you can get rid of dirt from dishes and clothes. Just a few drops on a damp sponge, knead until strong foam appears, treat the surface of the down jacket, wait 5-10 minutes, wipe with clean water.

Starch, talc

Starch has high absorbent properties. The effect will be stronger if you combine it with the same amount of salt, add fresh lemon juice to the consistency of sour cream, cover the stain and let it dry. The lotion itself will come off along with the dirt; the remains can be wiped off with a damp cloth or sponge.

Talc and crushed chalk are good absorbents. Fill them with the mixture (1:1), cover the down jacket with a white paper sheet, press down with a weight, and leave for 8-10 hours.

Lemon juice

The fat can be lubricated with lemon juice, and after 30-40 minutes, washed with any detergent. Applying citric acid is strictly prohibited; it will ruin clothes.

Other

There are many other homemade recipes:

For light-colored fabrics, a mixture of equal parts of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide is suitable. Treat the greasy stain with a cotton swab or soft cloth soaked in it, and rinse thoroughly after 40 minutes. This method is best used before machine washing a down jacket.
An aqueous solution of ammonia works in a similar way (1 teaspoon: 0.5 cups of warm water).
A fresh stain can be sprinkled with dry wheat flour.
Grease can be easily removed with diluted hair shampoo.
You can spray shaving foam from a can on the collar and cuffs of a down jacket for a few minutes, then wash it.
Remove oily traces with a cotton swab soaked in a vinegar solution (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water), and finally rinse with clean water.
A radical remedy is purified gasoline “Galosha”. It even defeats machine oil, polyurethane foam, soot and burnt rubber. Follow the instructions on the package.

Laundry soap

A greasy down jacket can be cleaned using simple manipulations with laundry soap:

place the jacket horizontally;
grate the soap on a fine grater until a powder forms;
it should be left on the contaminated area for half an hour, this time is enough for the soap to absorb all the fat.

After time has passed, shake off the powder; the remaining residue can be removed with a clothes brush. Laundry soap is effective only if the greasy residue is fresh and has not had time to dry.

Review of popular stain removers

"Down Wash & Clean". A specialized product for cleaning down jackets in the form of a spray. Suitable for various stains, on any fabrics. The main advantage is that it does not damage the filler.

Amway PreWash Spray. Dry spray from a popular eco-company. It is effective, especially with food greasy stains, does not destroy the material of the down jacket, and contains a small amount of solvents and surfactants. It is better to apply it as first aid to clothing so that the contaminated area does not grow, then finally clean it with another product or wash it.

"Dr. Beckmann." It contains bile soap and plant components, which effectively destroys greasy marks and has a gentle effect on any material. Hypoallergenic.

"Woly Sport Down Wash" Shampoo, which was originally developed for cleaning and washing sleeping bags, sportswear and equipment. Effective, eliminates sweat and traces of deodorants. Using water, you need to prepare a stable foam, apply it to a dirty cloth, and then wipe it off with a dry cloth.

"Ecover Stain Remover". The composition includes detergents of plant and mineral origin. Effective, harmless to humans, decomposes into safe components.

Children's stain remover "Eared Nanny". Does not contain chlorine, does not wash out color, easily destroys fresh stains. This brand of washing powder has proven itself well.

Nikwax Leather Cleaner Spray. Another specialized aerosol for cleaning outerwear and removing grease stains.

"Heitmann". Active oxygen bleach, retains color, does not destroy fibers, can be used for different types of washing down jackets.

STK Sitil. A good product for caring for suede shoes, can be used for jackets and bags.

"Vanish" Popular due to advertising, easy to use, but contains chlorine. The best way to remove greasy stains from a down jacket is with a carpet cleaner of this brand.

Domestic stain removers “Antipyatnin” and “Minutka” cope with different problems. Use with caution, it may lighten the material and damage synthetics.

Store-bought products are easy to use: each one has instructions indicating the dosage, sequence of actions, and warnings. Specialized, environmentally friendly, natural products are expensive, they are not sold everywhere, and some can only be ordered via the Internet. Mass brands are cheaper, more accessible, but not always effective and safe for down jacket fabric.

The main places where down jackets are contaminated with fat and the reasons for their occurrence

Basically, the cuffs of the sleeves, the neck of the down jacket adjacent to the neck, the collar and pockets are contaminated with grease. There are primary reasons why outerwear gets dirty with grease:

Food stains.
Machine oil.
After long wear, the sleeves begin to shine from constant contact with the hands.
Dirty hand prints.
Fat has melted out of the feathers of a low-quality down jacket.

Important! Before washing a down jacket, be sure to inspect the pockets: external and internal. If this simple procedure is carried out on time, then after washing there will be no unpleasant surprises in the form of another dirty spot.

In what cases is it better to dry clean a down jacket?

Winter clothing is an expensive necessity. If the area of contamination is significant, there are greasy old marks or of unknown origin, it is better to take the down jacket to the dry cleaner. Thin, delicate fabric is easy to ruin; combined items may require several different products. Down and other fillings require care and experience when handling. Sometimes it’s worth paying for a quality service rather than ruining the item yourself and regretting the loss for a long time.

Greasy marks from a down jacket can be removed at home using cheap folk methods or specialized products. But is it worth doing? Everyone decides for themselves what to do in such a situation.

The article has been verified by the editors

How to remove old greasy stains on a down jacket

If dirt is not removed from outerwear, a lot of effort will be required to return the product to its original appearance.

The most effective methods include:

Potato. The stain is treated with warm water and a brush. The washed root vegetable is divided into 2 parts. The old blot is carefully worked through the cut area. Finally, the jacket is washed in a washing machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.
9% table vinegar. Soak a cotton pad in it. Use it to wipe off old grease stains. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times. Wash outerwear in a washing machine or by hand with the addition of a strong powder.

Read more ► How to clean the outside of a stainless steel kettle: the best folk and chemical remedies

Any technique will return the flawless appearance of the down jacket. This will help save the family budget. There are also traditional methods based on alcohol or gasoline , but it is better to use them only in extreme cases.

A few rules

To completely remove grease stains from a jacket, you should follow a few simple rules:

You need to start cleaning the grease stain right away. This will make it much easier to get rid of blots;
under no circumstances should oil traces be rubbed, otherwise they will be absorbed even deeper into the material;
To prevent the stain from spreading even further across the material, it must be removed using movements from the edges to the center;
if chemicals are used for removal, they must first be tested on an inconspicuous area of the jacket;
Before putting your jacket in the washing machine, you need to carefully inspect it. If there are stains on the material, they should be removed before washing, otherwise the dirt will be embedded even deeper.

Advice!

Before washing the product, soap the greasy areas with plain washing soap. In most cases, such a simple manipulation helps get rid of marks.

Other methods

If necessary, the above methods can be supplemented with the following cleaning methods:

Refined gasoline. Gasoline from a gas station is not suitable for this method of eliminating pollution; purified gasoline should be purchased at a hardware store. Before applying liquid to a stain, you should check on the inside of the product. Apply gasoline to the blot for 10 minutes, then wash in a washing machine with powder.
Onion, lemon . Simply cut the food in half and place it at the cut point. For dark clothes you need to use onion, for light clothes – lemon. Lemon cannot be replaced with citric acid, as this can ruin the product.
Vinegar. It is enough to generously moisten a cotton pad in 9% vinegar and blot the greasy mark. Next, wash in a washing machine and rinse several times to get rid of the strong smell.
Turpentine is a grease stain remover that was used by grandmothers. First of all, you should clean the item from dust and check that it is completely dry. This is due to the fact that the liquid does not allow the turpentine to completely penetrate the fabric, which complicates the cleaning process.
Glycerin - this product is cheap and can be bought at the pharmacy. To get rid of dirt, you need to spread a few drops of glycerin over the contaminated area and leave for half an hour, then wipe with a clean cotton pad.
Chalk will help get rid of dirt on a white down jacket. Cover the required area with chalk and wait 3 hours, then remove the chalk and wash in a machine.
Talc . Combine chalk and talc in equal quantities and distribute evenly over the stain. Place a sheet of paper on top and press it down with something heavy. The next day, remove the mixture.
Toothpaste . Place a sheet of paper on the stained area and iron it to warm it up. Apply a small amount of toothpaste to the blot and lather well. Leave the item for a day until the fat has completely dried. This method involves using only white toothpaste, since colored ones can stain the item.

General recommendations

Using the following rules for caring for your down jacket, you will always be able to keep it in good shape and significantly extend the life of the product.

Remember - before you begin to fight stains, the item must be cleaned of external, visible contaminants. It is best to carefully scrape off the resulting dense layers of dirt with a not too sharp knife.

Another important point is that stains are always treated from the borders to the center.

Also remember to thoroughly remove any remnants of any sanitizing substances used. So, the place where the stain previously appeared is washed several times with a washcloth, going slightly beyond the limits of contamination. Only in this way will it be possible to avoid the appearance of whitish stains.

When cleaning is completed, wait until the down jacket is completely dry - only then the results of the measures you have taken can be assessed objectively. If it was not possible to completely remove the trace of dirt, repeat the procedure or admit your powerlessness and take the item to the dry cleaner.