The other day, (you might remember), my 4 year old spilled cooking oil all over the carpet. Not even thinking about it, I soaked the oil up with about 4 of our towels and a few hand towels. I'm afraid to wash them b/c of the oil getting in the washer. Husband said just to throw them out and buy new ones, but I hate to just toss them. Can they be saved or should I just throw them out? Any tips?
Will the oil ruin my washer? It's a LOT of oil.
I decided to just trash them. We picked up 4 new towels at Walmart for $24. Totally worth not having to deal with the scrubbing and mess!
If you are concerned, try soaking them in the bath tub with some Dawn dish soap. See if hand washing them that way helps at all.
I love Charliesmom's answer, that's what I would do too. Presoak them in Dawn in the tub, hand wring them, heck, soak them again for good measure, THEN stick them in the washing machine.
Worth a shot! If not, yay for new towel shopping ;)
Hmmm I wonder if this falls under the 'don't pour grease down your drains'. You could cause yourself sewer issues and more. I say treat yourself to new towels.
Why would you be afraid to wash them?
I'd at least try it.
Wash them separately from any other stuff, though.
What do you have to lose?
ETA: How much oil? What size was the bottle?
Was it a commercial-sized vat of cooking oil? LOL
How hot do you keep your hot water? If it's just on a normal setting, I'd go crank it way up, wait a couple of hours then wash the towels at least 2x, back to back, with a good, powdered laundry detergent.
Hot, hot water and soap, 2x through will save the towels. Don't use fabric softener.
Wash them at the laundromat.
just cooking oil like canola wont hurt the plumbing, use super hot sterilizing wash. Or just heavy load on really hot. A little dawn or Palmolive like seriously just a cap full. Cut the laundry detergent in half or even only use a 1/4 recommended. When its done, pull them out, smell them, still smell it or have greasy feel, do it again. Afterwards when you pull them out to dry. put your washer through a empty, sanitize load with a cap full of dawn. NOT laundry cap.. just a cap or a teaspoon of dawn or you will get bubble city in your washing room.
