Remove large grease stain from wool coat?

October 19, 2016 7:59 AM

An expensive wool overcoat got pretty much soaked in *used* fry oil several months ago. Long story. I know it would have been easier to resolve when it happened, but I procrastinated as the weather was warming up and forgot about it. Now I'm regretting that. Can it be saved? I'd ask a dry cleaner, but I'm afraid they'll just suggest, in bad faith, an expensive cleaning.
posted by barbudo to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

Response by poster: I should clarify - I'll spare no expense in taking this thing to a professional if necessary, I just want to make sure that's not hopeless.
posted by barbudo at 8:00 AM on October 19, 2016

I would take it to a trusted dry cleaner, key word "trusted". An expensive wool coat will have many structural layers that will need careful handling to prevent warping or shrinkage.

You can always discuss and get a quote as to how much this cleaning will cost before you hand it over.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 8:24 AM on October 19, 2016

Depending on your tolerance for experimentation, I'd be tempted to soak the coat in soapy water (either dish soap or laundry detergent) then gently rinse a few times and hang dry. Then take it to the cleaners to be drycleaned and reblocked.

In my experience, drycleaners often stick to drycleaning (with solvent) and that sometimes doesn't get out certain types of tough stains that are more susceptible to soap and water.
posted by mercredi at 8:27 AM on October 19, 2016

Why not just send it to the dry cleaner and get the standard coat cleaning and see what happens? Should be $10-15?
posted by gregr at 8:29 AM on October 19, 2016

tipsy just said what I was going to say. If you do not have a trusted dry cleaner, ask a trusted friend who they use and are happy with. As well as getting a price quote, ask if it looks hopeless no matter what they do or if there is a procedure that should work.. It does not sound like a do it yourself project.
posted by mermayd at 8:29 AM on October 19, 2016

Grease is not susceptible to soap and water. That's what solvent is for. Take it to the cleaners, who will either tell you they can get the stain out and do so, tell you they can get the stain out and fail to do so, or tell you it's a lost cause. To eliminate the middle possibility, establish up front that you won't pay unless they get the stain out. If no cleaner wants to take the job, then I guess you could douse it in a few bottles of Dawn and rinse it in cold water and then if you succeed in getting the grease out of it (you won't), have it drycleaned and reblocked as mecredi suggests.
posted by Don Pepino at 8:40 AM on October 19, 2016

If it was a small spot I would recommend putting a paper towel on the other side of the spot and then dousing it with lighter fluid (away from flame obviously) and then letting dry followed by a "normal" wash. For a coat that has been "soaked" you would need too much lighter fluid so best to go with the drycleaners.
posted by koolkat at 8:43 AM on October 19, 2016

Once you find a dry cleaner that looks promising, you can _interview_ them. Find out when the owner or manager will be there, talk to that person, ask what approaches they would take to handle this kind of stain while preserving the wool coat.

You have enough information from the other answers here to figure out if they seem credible, but look for answers that sound cautious and like they aren't handling this problem the same way as all other dry cleaning.

We have one place here where the owner/manager has specialized stain removal training and will talk your ear off about stain removal. He's great. So, this kind of thing exists. Stain geeks, I guess.
posted by amtho at 9:35 AM on October 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Take it to the cleaners, who will either tell you they can get the stain out and do so, tell you they can get the stain out and fail to do so, or tell you it's a lost cause.

Or they will tell you they can try and see how much they can get out. And if you agree, you pay them for the work they've done, even if they failed to achieve an outcome they warned you they cannot guarantee.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:11 AM on October 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

It may be worth trying dish detergent, as it's pretty effective at removing grease stains from other clothing.
posted by peppermind at 11:18 AM on October 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yep, no rational dry cleaner is going to agree to "get the stain out or no money for you." It's worth the gamble, if they seem both reputable and confident, to agree to let them try and pay for the work regardless of outcome. This one time I got a giant olive oil stain on a silk skirt, and my factotum friend got it out with carbon tetrachloride. Carbon tetrachloride is hellaciously toxic, and I think even dry cleaners are forbidden to use it anymore. I have no idea how he had the stuff.

I think the dish detergent plan has to be a last resort before you give up and throw the coat away because I think it's going to turn it into a shriveled felt wad.
posted by Don Pepino at 1:37 PM on October 19, 2016 [2 favorites]