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How to Get Hair Oil Out of Clothes and Fabrics

Get a hair serum stain on your clothes? Follow our oil stain removal tips to learn how to remove hair oil from clothes, sheets, pillowcases, and other fabrics.

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New Clorox® Free & Clear

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New Clorox® Free & Clear

Safe around kids, pets & food.* * When used as directed.

Question

How do I get hair serum oil out?

Answer

Hair serum typically contains some oil in addition to polymers that smooth and de-frizz hair. The oil is most likely the biggest problem when trying to remove a hair serum stain. Some oils break up more easily than others, and I’m not sure which brand of hair serum you have. I also don’t know what type of item you have the stain on, so let’s assume it’s machine washable. I would start by pretreating the stain with a little liquid dishwashing detergent (the kind you use for hand washing dishes). When you do this, DON’T rinse the fabric first. Instead, you will get the best results when it is dry! Just apply a few drops of the detergent directly to the stain and gently massage it in. Wait a few minutes, and then rinse the treated area with a little warm water. Now you can pretreat the area again with liquid Clorox 2® Stain Remover and Color Booster (especially if the serum has a little tint that left behind any discoloration on the item). Apply a little directly to the stain, gently rub in, and wait 5 minutes before machine washing in the warmest water recommended on the item’s care label using detergent and more Clorox 2® Stain Remover and Color Booster. Air dry and check for success. If you missed treating any oil you can repeat the treatment again for complete success. I hope this is helpful — let me know how it goes, and thanks for writing!

–Dr. Laundry

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