# Oops. How do I clean this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620 "2003-05-30T20:48:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/1 "2003-05-30T20:48:41Z")
I have a really useful little Outdoor Products backpack that I use when I ride my motorcycle. I use it when travelling as well. A little while I opened it up to find an oily mess. I ride my bike hard, since it’s only 600cc and I like to go fast. Plus, it’s a 90-mile round-trip commute every day to the office. The upshot is that I have to add about four ounces of oil at least once a week. (The Yamaha shop says this is normal.) Since I don’t want to be caught out, I carry oil with me. I have a baggie over the top just in case. Well, I had to stop on the way to work yesterday to add oil when the annunciator light came on. I guess I didn’t tighten the cap well enough. When I put my backpack flat on my desk the oil found its way through the slightly-loose cap, past the baggie, and into the rear pocket. From there it seeped into the main compartment. I’ve wiped it as well as I could with paper towels, but the whole thing will need to be cleaned. How do I do it? Do I hand-wash it in the bathroom sink with some detergent? Throw it in the washing machine? (I’ve done that before, just not for an oil spill.) Use dishwashing liquid (“Gets grease out of your way!”)? Shampoo? Absorb it with cat litter? What’s the best way to clean my backpack? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/2 "2003-05-30T21:48:19Z")
Oil is what detergents are made for. If your pack will stand up to the washing machine, use that. Pretreat the oil slick following the instructions on the detergent (or use a pretreating agent like Spray-‘n’-Wash), then machine wash with a couple of old towels, using a medium load of detergent. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/3 "2003-05-30T22:15:43Z")
If it’s made of coated nylon (waterproof), hand washing is safer than machine washing. ---
**Author:** ![Sionach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Sionach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sionach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/4 "2003-05-30T22:53:47Z")
Although I rarely advocate non-biodegradable cleaning products, I’d say this is one case which calls for Dawn dishwashing detergent. It’s the absolute best for removing oils and/or grease & works better than any clothes-washing detergent I’ve ever tried. I’d suggest you pour a little Dawn on the affected area and then wash the pack out in the shower. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/5 "2003-05-31T01:00:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sionach \* > \*\*Although I rarely advocate non-biodegradable cleaning products, I’d say this is one case which calls for Dawn dishwashing detergent. It’s the absolute best for removing oils and/or grease & works better than any clothes-washing detergent I’ve ever tried. I’d suggest you pour a little Dawn on the affected area and then wash the pack out in the shower. \*\* Bingo, I was going to say this myself. Throw that sucker in a hot bucket of Dawn suds. Then wash on gentle cycle to finish up. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/6 "2003-05-31T15:14:47Z")
Auto part stores have hand cleaner & you can use that stuff first as it’s major powerful on oil stains. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/7 "2003-05-31T15:20:53Z")
I’ll get some Dawn whenever I finally get to moving around today. (Unless Palmolive would work – I have that already.) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/8 "2003-05-31T15:23:42Z")
Any detergent would work well enough. If you got Palmolive, use that. Plus your hands will be silky soft. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/9 "2003-05-31T15:28:28Z")
Washing soda is great for cleaning up oil. Look for it in the laundry section. Make a paste with water and cover the spot, let it sit a while, then rinse. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/10 "2003-05-31T18:04:40Z")
Deciding to use what I have on-hand, I impregnated the oil-stained nylon with Palmolive dish soap. It sat there for a couple of hours, as I was watching a few episodes of _Father Ted_ and _Coupling_. I tossed it into the washing machine with another backpack (same kind, different colour), a pair of BDU trousers, and a couple of Wisk detergent tablets, and washed it in warm water on normal agitation. It’s still damp, but I did not detect any oil stains on it. Thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oops-how-do-i-clean-this/178620/11 "2003-06-01T20:29:39Z")
Bookmark [the Cornell Stain Removing guide](http://www.human.cornell.edu/units/txa/extension/removingstains.pdf) (unfortunately a PDF). Note the repeated use of “blotting” and note what “blotting” really means.