Removing Oil From Clothes

Toddler stepped in something oily

our toddler stepped in some black substance that we think must have been oil. oblivious to this fact, we proceeded to pick him up and only later found the black marks on our jeans (one pair blue, the other off white!). i saw lots of cleaning products on the web site, but didn't see anything about oil and clothes. has anyone had success gettting such a substance out or are our jeans doomed to be relegated for messy projects attire? thanks. susan

Here's a suggestion for a product to get oil out of clothes. Soil Love is only about $1.40 at Albany Safeway. It does a great job on oil and gum as well. S.C.

The only thing I've *ever* found that gets oil out of clothes (as well as bubble gum, dried latex paint, and thousands of other nasty substances) is called Goof Off. It comes in a small metal can, and it smells remarkably like lighter fluid. That alone should tell you that this is probably not an earth-friendly or even people-friendly substance, but it really works. My recommendation would be to use it only on the adult clothes, since baby skin might be too sensitive (though I have very sensitive skin and haven't ever had a problem). Fortunately, a little goes a long way, so you'll only have to commit the earth offense once. I've had mine so long I don't even remember where it came from, but I think you could get it at Home Depot or another hardware store. Heather