Asked on May 07, 2016

Head oil stain on Recliner

Judy Bradfield
by Judy Bradfield
My 7 month old recliner has an ugly "head oil" spot on it I can't get out. Tried the cleaner they gave me when I bought it, nothing. Please help.
  9 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on May 07, 2016
    You can try rubbing corn starch into the stain to see if it will soak up the oil without worrying if a cleaner will leave a water spot.
  • MN Mom MN Mom on May 07, 2016
    Depending on what your chair is made of (leather? Upholstery?) could make a difference in cleaning it. If the chair is that new, I would contact the place where you purchased it to see if there is a warranty or accident coverage. I had one on my sofa and it covered spot cleaning. You can also contact the manufacturer of the chair and ask them what they recommend before trying home remedies. If/when you get it resolved, I'd invest in an antimacassar for the back of the chair.
  • Megan Thurman Megan Thurman on May 07, 2016
    What's the chair made of?
  • Gail Marler Gail Marler on May 07, 2016
    try dawn dish detergent and peroxide but check it on the underside of fabric first
  • William William on May 07, 2016
    I would use Krud Kutter. It's fabric safe and nothing works better! The only problem is that if your recliner is dirty all over, you may have to clean it all over because if you use Krud Kutter on the oily spot, it will get it 100% clean. Anything that will take the oily spot off of your recliner will leave the spot clean, so my guess is that you will have the same problem with any good cleaner....you'll have to clean the whole chair if it's dirty. Spray it on well and let it sit for a while, then take a clean WHITE terry bath towel and put pressure on the spot, blotting it to get as much out of the chair as possible as you keep turning the towel to a clean dry spot on the towel. Check to see the oil/dirt coming out onto your white towel. You may want to repeat another round of the K.K. or two and blot until you see no more dirt/oil coming out into the white towel. BLOT DO NOT RUB! Then spray clean water on the spot and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Repeat the blotting/pressure with clean area of towel. Spray with water again, blot again, until you think it's rinsed well. Krud Kutter dissolves grease/oil like nothing I've seen. I use it to clean my oily paint brushes after I have cleaned them in mineral spirits first. It's great for all kinds of stuff, indoors and out. I buy it by the gallon at Home Depot.
    • Judy Bradfield Judy Bradfield on May 09, 2016
      @William Thank you William, great advise. First I'm going to call Rooms to Go, (merchant who sold it). It is only dirty in that one place, I was sick, and planted in my new chair, when fever broke, and sweating started I stayed put. Not my smartest move. Thanks' I love getting all this great feedback.
  • Laurie Laurie on May 08, 2016
    If the upholstery fabric is made of nylon, you can get it out with Shout! aerosol (in a can). It MUST be the aerosol. Sometimes, it's hard to find it, but in my area Wal-Mart carries it, or you can order it on their website. Sometimes, Home Depot has it. After you spray the oily area, you need to use a microfiber or terrycloth cloth that has been dipped in a diluted laundry detergent solution. You will probably have to clean the entire headpiece section to make it look uniformly the same color as the rest of the chair. Usually nylon doesn't transfer color, but to be safe, you might want to try a little section first where it isn't noticeable.
  • Kkyucatan Kkyucatan on May 08, 2016
    I agree with Krud Kutter, but you might try alcohol and a clean white rag...it works great on microsuede type fabrics.
  • Judy Bradfield Judy Bradfield on May 08, 2016
    That is the fabric, could not remember for the life of me
  • Judy Bradfield Judy Bradfield on May 09, 2016
    not done yet will update