Oil Stain Removal Guide for our Customers of Sunbrella and Agora Outdoor Fabrics

The following guide is to help our customers remove oil stains (salad dressing, sausage grease, olive oil) from their Sunbrella and Agora premium outdoor fabrics.

You will need:

1. Diggers White Spirits 
2. Paper towels (lots)
3. Rubber Gloves
4. Soapy water and a sponge

1. Blot excess oil.

100%  solution-dyed acrylics such as Sunbrella and Agora are water-resistant and liquids will sit on top of the fabric rather than absorbing into the fabric. Gently blot excess oil with a flat piece of paper towel or scrape the oil off with the edge of a flat, blunt knife.

2. Prepare two pieces of paper towel.

Place a flat piece of paper towel on the underside of the stained fabric. Have a second piece of paper towel ready for the top side of the fabric where the stain is. Retrieve your Diggers White Spirits. Note: I pressed the olive oil firmly into the fabric to create an oil stain.

3. Apply Diggers White Spirits and blot (repeat, repeat)

Apply half a teaspoon of Diggers White Spirits directly on the stain. Immediately blot the liquid with your flat paper towel, applying pressure with your fingertips to absorb as much of the white spirits as possible. This ‘wicks’ the oil into the paper towel.  Repeat by applying more white spirits and blotting with fresh paper towel. Use new pieces, top and bottom when the paper towel becomes damp. Be patient, repeat often, using plenty of paper towel.

4. Assess

Done well, you should have a big pile of used paper towel at this point. When the white spirits fully evaporate (this won’t take long, and can be sped up in the sun), assess the stain. It may look ‘watermarked’ at this point. Don’t worry, the next step will sort that.

5. Clean with soapy water, then rinse.

Wash with a sponge and soapy water, then rinse with clean water to remove soap residue. This will help remove any remaining residue (the watermark).

6. Let air dry, ideally in the sun. 

7. Check and repeat if required:

Once dry, inspect the fabric to ensure the stain is completely removed. If any traces remain, repeat the process.

8. If required, restore repellency

Over time, repeated use of cleaning products (such as ones used to remove stains), will compromise the water-resistant properties of Sunbrella and Agora outdoor fabric. Restore its water repellency using this Sunbrella-recommended fabric guard, available at your local Burnsco. Just spray on clean,dry fabric and let air dry.

I have removed oil stains this way on the Sunbrella and Agora squabs on our own personal sets, and have helped panicked customers over the years so I’ve photo-documented the process.

Good luck, and have faith. I’m confident you will be pleased with the outcome!

A few notes/safety tips:

 I can recommend these instructions to my customers on the premium performance outdoor fabrics used on my ranges of outdoor lounge suites. I’m unsure if these instructions will work on other fabrics. Test by applying Diggers White Spirits on a small, inconspicuous area of the fabric to ensure it does not cause any damage or discolouration. Use these instructions at your peril if you purchased your outdoor furniture elsewhere 

Ventilation: work in a well-ventilated area when using white spirits.

Wear protective gloves to avoid skin contact with white spirits ( sorry my pics show me without gloves!) Dispose of used paper towels carefully. 

Kerry is the co-owner of OutsideSpace NZ, offering a range of contemporary outdoor furniture for coastal living kiwis seeking premium quality products and design at achievable prices.