If you've gotten olive oil on your silk shirt, you may think the shirt is ruined. That's not always the case. Oil-based stains can be easily drawn into the weave of the fabric and get trapped, especially if you apply water to the stain. Yet if you attempt to draw the oil out as soon as possible, you'll give your shirt the best chance of surviving its encounter with olive oil.
Blot the oil stain lightly with an absorbent napkin as soon as it occurs to try to draw out any excess oil.
Lay the stained part of the shirt on a flat surface and sprinkle talcum powder or cornstarch over the stain. Leave the shirt for at least 20 minutes to give the powder a chance to absorb the oil.
Brush off the powder gently with a soft, clean cloth.
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 up to three times if necessary. If the stain still remains, take the shirt to a dry cleaner who specializes in silk garments.
Tips
If you own several articles of silk clothing, purchase a spot-treatment product made especially for silk.
Warning
Never rub the stain or press hard on it. You may spread the oil or work it more deeply into the silk fibers.
