The literature on soil release finishes for fibers and fabrics has been reviewed. Although the most important fiber property for good release of oily soils is surface hydrophilicity, additional fiber properties that may improve soil release are 1) a negative charge, tending to repel most soils which are also negatively charged, 2) swelling in water, 3) a smooth fiber surface, 4) a hard fiber surface, and 5) low surface energy in the dry state to prevent spreading of oily soils. Hydrophobic fibers and fabrics, which include most of the synthetic fibers treated for durable press, are the ones that often need a soil release finish. A durable soil release finish may be obtained by 1) chemical reaction of the fiber surface by hydrolysis, grafting, transesterification, oxidation, etc., 2) physical sorption at the fiber surface, or 3) coating of the fiber surface with a polymer. Chemical reaction can be used for polyester fibers; for example, controlled hydrolysis with alkali can produce hydroxyl and carboxyl groups which are hydrophilic. Physical sorption of molecules with an appropriate hydrophilic-lipophilic balance on polyester or nylon fibers permits sorption through the lipophilic group and soil release through the hydrophilic group. Polymers used to coat the surface of a fiber can be vinyl polymers containing hydrophilic groups such as carboxyl or polymers containing polyoxyethylene groups. Such polymers can be applied on top of durable press finishes or coapplied with them. If the polymer is a hybrid fluorochemical polymer, it may impart stain repellent properties in addition to improving soil release.