How to Remove Grease, Tar and Asphalt Stains from Clothes

You get into the car and your trousers pick up grease from the undercarriage. You walk along a freshly resurfaced street and leave with traces of asphalt and tar on your shoes and trousers. You sit on a bench that's just been treated – and suddenly you've got resin stains. Grease, tar and asphalt stains are among the toughest there are, and an everyday wash simply can't cope with them. But with the right method, most of them can be removed. In this article: what actually works, what's a myth, and when a garment is beyond saving.

How these stains differ from ordinary oil

Grease, tar and asphalt share one property – they are mixtures of hydrocarbon compounds, usually petroleum-based. What makes them so difficult:

• High viscosity – they cling to fibres far more stubbornly than ordinary vegetable oil
• Polymerisation – over time and with exposure to oxygen, they become resistant to solvents
• Pigments – tar and asphalt contain natural black pigments that bind deep into the fibres
• Water resistance – an ordinary wash barely makes a dent
• Toxic compounds – some greases contain heavy metals or other hazardous additives

For more on how they differ from ordinary oils, see our guide to oil stains. These stains call for a tougher approach.

Safety rules come first

These stains often require stronger chemicals. Before you start:

• Work in a ventilated room or outdoors
• Wear disposable gloves to protect your skin
• Avoid eye contact with solvents
• Never mix different chemicals (chlorine + ammonia produce dangerous fumes)
• Test on a hidden area before the main treatment
• Keep children and pets well away from your work area

First steps (within the first few hours)

Fresh tar or grease is much easier to remove than when it has set:

1. NEVER wipe it – you'll rub it deeper into the fibres
2. Harden it in the freezer – if it's still soft, put the garment in the freezer for 30 minutes. Hardened material is easier to scrape off.
3. Remove it mechanically – use the edge of a blunt knife or a spoon to scrape away as much of the surface layer as possible. Work from the edge of the stain towards the centre.
4. Absorb the residue – cover it with baby powder, starch or another absorbent, leave for 30 minutes, then brush it off

After this stage, 60-70% of the stain is usually gone. Next, we move on to wet methods.

4 methods, from gentlest to strongest

Method 1: Butter or cooking oil (surprisingly)

An old trick that works – tar is dissolved by a substance with similar chemistry:

1. After mechanical removal, apply a teaspoon of butter or cooking oil directly to the tar residue
2. Gently massage it in with your fingers for 2-3 minutes
3. Leave for 15-30 minutes – the fats in the butter "release" the tar from the fibres
4. Blot it off with kitchen roll
5. Apply a strong washing-up liquid (Fairy, Pril)
6. Massage it in and leave for another 15 minutes
7. Wash at 40 °C with an enzyme laundry detergent

Suitable for fresh and moderately old tar or asphalt stains. Best used on cotton and denim.

Method 2: WD-40 (the classic)

WD-40 is a mineral oil with solvents. It's stronger than butter:

1. After mechanical removal, spray WD-40 directly onto the stain
2. Leave for 5-10 minutes
3. Blot with kitchen roll – you should see the stain start to "give way"
4. Repeat if needed (2-3 rounds)
5. Apply a generous amount of washing-up liquid
6. Work it in with a brush
7. Wash at 40 °C with an extra rinse

Warning: WD-40 has its own smell, which can linger in the fibres. Use it only on cotton and denim, NEVER on delicate fabrics.

Method 3: Eucalyptus / tea tree oil

Natural alternatives. Essential oils contain terpenes, which dissolve tar and resin:

1. Apply a few drops of eucalyptus or tea tree oil directly to the stain
2. Leave for 10-15 minutes
3. Work it in with a soft brush
4. Apply washing-up liquid
5. Wash as usual

Suitable for fresh stains and more delicate fabrics (wool, silk – but always test on a hidden area first).

Method 4: Specialist solvents (for the toughest cases)

Commercial products designed specifically for tar and grease:

• Goo Gone – popular and gentler than turpentine
• De-Solv-It – citrus-based and more biodegradable
• Turpentine – classic and effective, but with a strong smell
• White spirit – used by decorators; aggressive

The principle is the same as with WD-40, just with stronger products. Test on a hidden area first!

Tips by substance

Engine oil / machine grease

The easiest case – it's essentially mineral oil with additives:

1. Pre-treat with butter or washing-up liquid
2. Wash at 30-40 °C with an enzyme laundry detergent
3. Repeat if needed

Older oil stains may contain oxidised additives and heavy metals – in that case, the WD-40 method is the one to use.

Asphalt stains

Moderately difficult. Asphalt is a mixture of petroleum products and mineral fillers:

1. Harden it in the freezer
2. Remove it mechanically
3. Pre-treat with WD-40 or eucalyptus oil
4. Pre-treat with washing-up liquid
5. Wash at 40 °C

Tree resin stains

Pine or spruce resin is natural, but extremely sticky. The strategy:

1. Harden it in the freezer (essential – soft resin can't be scraped off)
2. Remove it mechanically with the edge of a blunt knife
3. Pre-treat with eucalyptus oil (terpenes are excellent at dissolving natural resin)
4. Pre-treat with washing-up liquid
5. Wash

Road tar stains

Bitumen tar is tougher than tree resin. It calls for stronger methods (WD-40, turpentine).

Paint stains (oil-based)

Check the type: if the paint is oil-based, the strategy is similar to tar. If it's water-based, a normal wash with pre-treatment will do.

Road salt (winter de-icer)

In winter, roads in Lithuania are treated with de-icer (calcium chloride with additives). It leaves yellowish marks on shoes and trousers. The strategy:

1. Rinse with plain cold water
2. Soak in vinegar (acetic acid neutralises the chloride)
3. Wash with an enzyme laundry detergent

Tips for different fabrics

Cotton and denim

The most resilient. All 4 methods are suitable. You can even use stronger solvents if needed.

Synthetics (polyester)

Be careful with solvents – some can damage the fibre structure. Best options: the butter method and eucalyptus oil. Avoid WD-40 and turpentine on more delicate synthetics.

Wool and silk

NEVER use aggressive solvents. Best approach:

1. Harden and remove mechanically
2. Essential oils (eucalyptus, tea tree) – the natural choice
3. A delicate detergent (NOT an enzyme one for wool)
4. For tougher cases – take it to the dry cleaner's

Leather items

A category of its own. Never use water. Wipe with a dry cotton cloth and a small amount of eucalyptus oil. For tougher cases, see a leather care specialist.

The stain is still visible after washing – what now?

A typical scenario: the stain looks like a "shadow" – the bulk of the tar has gone from the surface, but pigment residue remains in the fibres:

1. Repeat the pre-treatment method (whichever worked in the first round)
2. Soak the garment in warm water with an enzyme laundry detergent for 1-2 hours
3. Wash as usual
4. Dry in the sun (UV helps fade any remaining pigment)

If the stain is still visible after 2-3 rounds, it probably can't be removed completely.

When a garment is truly lost

To be honest, some cases are irreversible:

• Dried tar or asphalt that's a week old and has already polymerised
• Fibres damaged by strong solvents (holes appear)
• Permanent colour change beneath the stain (especially on coloured fabrics)
• No progress after 3 attempts

Such garments are better put to another use (as workwear, patches or cleaning cloths).

What NOT to do

• Never pour on hot water – the tar melts and spreads further
• Never iron it – this sets the stain permanently
• Never tumble dry a garment with a visible stain
• Don't mix chemicals with each other
• Don't work with bare hands – some solvents irritate the skin

Prevention

Grease, tar and asphalt stains are mostly unexpected accidents. But a few preventive rules help:

• Keep workwear separate – wear dedicated overalls for car repairs
• Protective treatments – some products (Scotchgard) create a resistant layer that makes stains easier to remove
• Act quickly – a fresh stain is 5-10x easier to remove than a dried one
• Avoid freshly laid surfaces – new road asphalt usually takes 24-48 hours to harden

Frequently asked questions

Does butter really remove tar?

Yes, thanks to its similar chemical structure. Both tar and butterfat are hydrophobic compounds. The fats in butter "break" tar's grip on the fibres. A traditional trick that genuinely works.

Can diesel be used to remove tar?

It works, but:

• It leaves a strong, lingering smell in the fibres
• It isn't environmentally safe
• It can damage more delicate fabrics

It's better to use dedicated products (WD-40, eucalyptus oil).

My child got asphalt on their new trainers. Are they worth saving?

It depends on what they're worth. For cheap trainers, it's often cheaper to buy a new pair than to invest time and products. For premium leather shoes – always try to save them.

Is turpentine safe to use at home?

In a ventilated room – yes. Ventilate thoroughly and wear gloves. Avoid it in households with small children or allergy sufferers.

How long can I wait before trying to remove tar?

Ideally within 1-24 hours, before the tar has set. After 48-72 hours, your chances of success drop dramatically.

Summary

Grease, tar and asphalt stains are among the toughest, but most of them can be removed with the right methods. The key rules: harden, scrape off mechanically, pre-treat with an oil- or essential oil-based product, then pre-treat with washing-up liquid, then wash as normal. Safety comes first (a ventilated room, gloves, never mixing chemicals). For more on different stains, see our complete stain guide. For the main wash, Ecozyme enzyme laundry detergent is ideal, as its lipases complement the oil and solvent pre-treatment.