The Best Way to Get Vaseline Out of Clothes Without Completely Ruining the Fabric

Vaseline is a skincare powerhouse used to treat chapped lips, protect minor cuts, and even prolong the lasting power of your perfume. Made of pure petroleum jelly, a mixture of mineral oils and wax, Vaseline is an inexpensive medicine cabinet staple that has a place in just about every home.

Unfortunately, the waxy, oily nature of Vaseline makes it prone to staining. An errant drop or smear of Vaseline can ruin clothes and other fabric goods, especially if left untreated. Ahead, you’ll find everything you need to know about getting Vaseline out of clothes, including how to treat old or deeply set-in stains.

What to Know About Vaseline Stains Before Treating

Treat Immediately: Like other oil- and wax-based stains, Vaseline stains should be treated immediately, if possible.

Wash on Hot: Before treating a Vaseline stain on clothing, check the garment’s care tag for laundering instructions. Due to its oily, waxy nature, a stain created by Vaseline is best treated with hot water, so you should use the hottest water the fabric can tolerate according to the care instructions. Vaseline stains on clothing labeled “dry-clean only” can be removed at home using absorbent powders, such as cornstarch or baby powder, or sent out for professional cleaning.

Allow Enough Time for Stain Treatment: Additionally, a Vaseline stain takes time to break down. Applying a stain remover and allowing enough time for it to penetrate and break apart the stain before washing makes the process more effective.

Repeat as Necessary: You may also find that these tricky stains require more than one pass to remove completely. This is especially true of stains on cotton, silk, and spandex, which are fabrics that quickly absorb Vaseline, and wool, which becomes matted when exposed to petroleum jelly.

Always Air-Dry: Finally, after washing an item of clothing with a Vaseline stain, allow it to air-dry rather than put it in the dryer. A wet garment often obscures an oil or wax stain that hasn’t come out completely in the wash, requiring a second round of stain remover and laundering. Placing the item in the dryer can set the stain, making it difficult, if not impossible, to remove. 

Remove Fresh Vaseline Stains with Liquid Soap

If you catch and treat a Vaseline stain when it happens, a mild liquid soap, such as dish soap, hand soap, or liquid laundry detergent, will help penetrate and break up the petroleum. This method is best for fresh stains or stains only a few days old, and it is safe for use on washable clothing made from natural and synthetic fabrics. 

1. Wash with Soap: Saturate the area with liquid soap. Use the pads of your fingers or a clean, white cloth to massage the liquid soap into the stain.
2. Let Sit: Allow 30 minutes for the soap to penetrate and break down the petroleum jelly.
3. Launder: Machine wash the stained item using the hottest water temperature the fabric can tolerate according to the instructions on its care label.
4. Air-dry the garment to avoid accidentally setting the stain in with the high heat of a dryer. Once the garment is dry, check for stain residue and repeat the process if necessary.

Use Pine Cleaner to Treat Fresh and Set-In Stains

Multipurpose pine cleaners, such as Pine Sol or Lestoil, are powerful grease stain removers that can be used on machine-washable fabrics, including cotton, canvas, linen, Lycra, nylon, polyester, and spandex. Pine cleaners are a good choice for treating both fresh and older, more set-in Vaseline stains.

1. Dab with Pine Cleaner: Apply a small amount of pine cleaner to a white cloth and dab it onto the stain. Do not apply the pine cleaner directly to the fabric, which can result in over-saturation.
2. Let Sit: Allow at least five minutes for the pine cleaner to penetrate and break down the Vaseline.
3. Wash the garment using the hottest water temperature it can tolerate.
4. Air-dry the garment. After laundering and allowing the garment to air-dry, check for traces of the stain and, if needed, repeat the process.

Removing Old or Set-in Vaseline Stains on Delicate Fabrics

Cornstarch or baby powder can lift Vaseline stains from fabrics, thanks to their absorbency. Using absorbent powders to remove oily or greasy stains is especially effective on dried, old, or deeply set-in stains, and it is also the recommended technique for treating these types of stains on delicate or non-washable fabrics like suede, leather, silk, velvet, and wool. This method is safe to use on garments labeled “dry-clean only.” Using absorbent powders for stain removal is a mostly hands-off process that requires significant time to complete.

1. Apply Powder to Stain: Lay the garment flat in a place where it can remain undisturbed for an hour up to overnight. Older stains require more time for the powder to pull out the Vaseline. Make an anthill-style pile of powder on top of the stain that extends beyond the outer edges of the area.
2. Let Sit: Allow an hour up to overnight for the absorbent powder to pull the Vaseline out of the fabric.
3. Remove Powder: Dispose of the powder in a trash can and brush away any residue. If needed, repeat the process to absorb more of the oily stain if residue from the Vaseline remains on the garment.