Name: Dan

Message: I have a pair of pants that are weathered black with some small food oil stains that will not wash out. Can I dye them black to hide the stains, or will the stains come thru the new dye? Thanks, Dan

It won't work. The dye will not cover up the stains. It's much like the situation for bleach stains; see "How can I fix the bleach spots on my favorite clothing?", except that the oily stains are darker than the rest of the fabric, rather than lighter, as bleach stains are.

To remove oily stains from your clothing, apply a degreasing cleaner such as PineSol (the original formula which contains pine oil) or LesToil to the stains, making sure it penetrates thoroughly, then launder in the hottest water the clothing can bear. Check the stains after washing, and don't put the clothing through the dryer again until you have managed to remove the stains.