Washday Miracle
 

That dirty chain oil! :eek:

How do you get it cleaned out of your clothes?

Wear black Clothes.

A few minutes before you throw it in the washer, put a dab of dish washing detergent on the grease spot and let it sit. Works for me.

And using the "ounce of prevention" theory, a rubber band around the right pant leg, or both pant legs for the tandem stoker. Some clean freaks will tell you to maintain the drivetrain better for longer chain life.

Some other ideas:
Use a spritz of Shout or some other "pre-wash" before you start the laundry, but let it sit for much longer than the recommended couple of minutes. Overnight is fine, and usually works.
Make a paste of your laundry detergent (I'm assuming it's a powder) and water and apply that before washing. Scrub with a toothbrush to get the crud out of the texture of the fabric. Let it stand for several minutes to a few hours.
Use the hottest water the fabric can stand, with extra detergent and a long wash cycle (you can still rinse in cold--saves a lot of energy).
Rub the spot with hand cleaner before you do the laundry.
For really greasy spots, I've used WD40 to dissolve the grease, then laundered out the WD40. Mixed success on that one.

Go to the auto parts store and buy a small tub of GOOP hand cleaner. It's a white gelatinous goop. Rub a dollop of it into and around the spot and let it stand for 5 minutes or so. Throw it into the wash.

The stuff cuts oil and grease from your hands (intended use), and it cuts road grease from under the flares in the wheel wells on my truck.

+1000 Best stain remover in the world.:thumb:

You use chain oil..........:eek:

GOOP
Yes; not only is it good for removing stains from your clothing it gets crud out of your cassette cogs. Purchase a pack of those big fuzzy pipe cleaners, dip one into tub of GOOP, pull fuzzy pipe cleaner with GOOP between cogs, allow GOOP to soak into crud, use another fuzzy pipe cleaner to remove crud along with water flush.:thumb:

Well, the winner is, dish soap, hot water and a new bathtub scrubbing brush. It seemed to get out almost all of the grease.

My recumbent, with its long exposed chain that runs right by my leg, necessitated learning this.

Have not used oil on my chains in the last two hundred thousand+ miles;
we use the hot wax method . . . no stain, no mess.

I work in a bike shop and my clothes are always dirty and oily/greasy when I get home. :(
I put a drop or two of dish soap on the spot(s) and let it soak in for 15 minutes (or longer) and then throw it in the washing machine with the other clothes. Works every time. :beer: