# Cleaning off Vegetable Oil
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 6, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279 "2005-12-06T01:09:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/1 "2005-12-06T01:09:36Z")
A couple of years ago, the former Mrs. Chameleon got mad at me and threw a large bottle of Wesson vegetable oil at the wall near me, where it shattered. Not long after that, she got a china cabinet and it covered up the splattered oil. That is until I finally got rid of the cabinet and now I have a semi-visible oil splatter on the wall. Any suggetions for how to clean it off without ruining my paint?
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/2 "2005-12-06T01:17:51Z")
If it’s corn oil, or one of the other drying oils, you are screwed. The stuff polymerizes in the presence of oxygen, and you end up with a varnish.
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### Author:  [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/3 "2005-12-06T01:32:46Z")
You’re probably SOL, but dishwashing detergent is made for washing oil. If not, alcohol might work, but will probably take off your paint too. Best bet is to prime and paint and not piss off Mrs. Chameleon ever ever again.
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### Author:  [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/4 "2005-12-06T02:03:42Z")
Prime the wall with Kilz primer, then paint the wall. Nothing I can think of will take it off without having to repaint and Kilz is the only think I can think of that won’t bleed through.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/5 "2005-12-06T02:47:35Z")
> [@nd\_n8](#):
>
> Prime the wall with Kilz primer, then paint the wall. Nothing I can think of will take it off without having to repaint and Kilz is the only think I can think of that won’t bleed through.
Second this, but sand lightly first, then use Kilz II (it doesn’t smell as bad as the original).
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/6 "2005-12-06T06:45:36Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Second this, but sand lightly first, then use Kilz II (it doesn’t smell as bad as the original).
A base will attack the oil but make sure it isn’t so strong it eats the paint. Try Castrol superclean in creasingly stronger solution.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/7 "2005-12-06T17:38:40Z")
A third on Kilz. B-I-N and Z-Prime are other brands that may be available in your area.
That stuff will block just about anything. I’ve had entirely satisfactory results with using that stuff to hold in water stains, sap, nicotine and even aged-on grease on a kitchen ceiling.
You may find the finish coat of wall paint has slightly more gloss in the Kilz-ed area as the paint can’t absorb into the primer as much as it can elsewhere on the wall.
Cure for that is to either paint the entire wall with Kilz, or plan on doing at least two coats of the finish paint.
Worst-case scenario would be to cut out the affected section of wallboard and replace it.
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### Author:  [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/8 "2005-12-07T20:08:57Z")
Hmmm, I really hope a detergent or alcohol works. I might nab something from the lab…
Sigh, the previous owners did such a nice job with sponge painting there, I don’t know how I’m going to get it all to work if I have to repaint. Stupid Ex-Mrs. Chameleon! :mad:
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### Author:  [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/9 "2005-12-07T20:33:14Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#):
>
> Hmmm, I really hope a detergent or alcohol works. I might nab something from the lab…
>
> Sigh, the previous owners did such a nice job with sponge painting there, I don’t know how I’m going to get it all to work if I have to repaint. Stupid Ex-Mrs. Chameleon! :mad:
I used a household de-greasing agent to remove horrid stains on a celing once. It game in a red bottle and damn if I can remember the name. I’d slap some Kilz on it and repaint it.
I’m so glad that the Wesson Launcher is now your _ex_. That’s just wrong man. So wrong.
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### Author:  [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/10 "2005-12-08T00:25:45Z")
Remember, if the new wall doesn’t match the old wall…make it boldly different and call it an ‘accent wall’
But…one and only one accent wall is allowed per room, but that’s a different thread.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/11 "2005-12-08T00:38:09Z")
Simple Green and Clear Magic are worth a shot, and if they don’t work, they’re nice to have 'round the house anyway.
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### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/12 "2005-12-08T02:37:23Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#):
>
> A third on Kilz. B-I-N and Z-Prime are other brands that may be available in your area.
Kilz comes in both water base and oil base versions. I assume the other brands do also. I would use the oil based primer on the entire wall, then repaint.
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### Author:  [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/13 "2005-12-08T13:59:10Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#):
>
> A couple of years ago, the former Mrs. Chameleon got mad at me and threw a large bottle of Wesson vegetable oil at the wall near me, where it shattered.
That’s a horrible thing that Mrs. C did. What a mess! And to think that bullet holes can be patched with just a little spackle.
Tell her to be more considerate next time. 😃
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### Author:  [@Angels\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angels_Flight)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/14 "2005-12-08T14:07:35Z")
The way painters take care of this is a paint called Kilz in every hardware store.
It’s so loaded with zinc oxide pigment it will cover anything. Then put the right color over that.
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### Author:  [@Angels\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angels_Flight)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/15 "2005-12-08T14:09:43Z")
To get heavy doses of oil off other surfaces, go to an auto supply and get a spray degreaser. Some are “biodegradable” but it should require you to use gloves if it’s the kind that’s strong enough.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-off-vegetable-oil/334279/16 "2005-12-08T14:19:08Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#):
>
> … the former Mrs. Chameleon…
[Elmer Fudd]It wooks wike you wearned your Wesson.[/Elmer Fudd]
People really throw stuff like that, ashtrays and Wesson oil and stuff? Wow, thought that was just in the movies. So happy to hear your situation has improved.
Man, that would have driven me ballsitic.