Oil Stain Removal From Pilot Shirts

[Squanto]

Try Lava Soap

Lava soap will take the hair off of a bear or a full grown mountain gorilla (don't ask me how I know) and it works pretty good on oil stains. Just make sure there no one you care about wearing the shirt when you do it. It burns man. Good luck.

 

[sydeseet]

A very domesticated fellow pilot I work with swears by brake cleaner. Buy an aerosol can of it at a parts store, turn the shirt inside-out, spray it on the stain area and rub it together, and then throw it in warm water and wash it. He's been using it for years and tells everyone about it. It will damage sensitive fabrics (silk, wool, etc..... but we all know that pilot shirts could survive a nuclear war - as long as they don't catch on fire) Good luck.

 

[Mike U]

I use Dawn dish soap, it works for me.
Mike U

 

[Simon Says]

Have the FO do the dirty work.

 

[troy]

I'll second "Simple Green", as a mechanic. We used it in the Navy as flight deck cleaner in the scrubber and I currently use it around the shop and at home by the washer/drier.

 

[flyhi]

If you are in a bind (oil on shirt..pax show up) then throw some club soda on it until you can get to your room or airport bathroom to do the soap thing. club soda will keep the stain from drying out and it will take out most food stains and light oil and grime. it's also safe to use on darker and delicate clothing.

 

[skychaser]

A 3rd vote for dish soap

works every time! i use whichever brand is available and it works every time!

 

[stingray]

During my Cape Air days(C-402s), we said if you don't have oil or grease stains on your shirts you didn't do a proper pre-flight.
Ok SHOUT it out with some scrubbing it comes out. I've had shirts that where stained that I wasn't using anymore. It got some week old stains out of these shirts and made them usefull again.

 

[Timebuilder]

It's true. CRC Brakleen will take off just about anything. I haven't tried it on a white shirt, but if I get an oil stain, I'll bet it will work.

 

[Chunk]

This stuff will clean ANYTHING!

Trichloroethane. You can get it from..well, I'm not sure. My dad always had it around the house, but he worked for an oil company. I think electronic repair guys might be able to get it.

Chunk