Engine oil + brakes = ?

I got engine oil all over my rear brake , so it hardly works at all now. Any ideas if it will get better over time, or are the pads knackered? Will riding round dragging the brake help?

[Spikenipple]

Remove the pads from the caliper, then degrease them and the disc with a good water based degreaser. Wipe any excess off of the pads then boil them. Leave them to dry thoroughly then lightly sand the surface of the pad material.

or a bit of brake cleaner does what it says on the tin

This afternoon was my first chance to have a go at this. I did: brake cleaner, dry, boil pads, dry, (forgot to sand pads), reinstall. Just been out for an hour to test it, and it seems to have done the trick perfectly, so thanks for the advice.

Just one more question: what was boiling the pads for?

[yorkie_chris]

I think boiling water loosens oil that's soaked into the pads. I've heard it recommended before.

Fairly recently I got brake fluid all over my pads. I took them into the kitchen and must've soaked them about 15 times in containers of boiling water, each time throwing it away for fresh water. The fluid floated to the top.

It worked fine. I didn't even consider boiling them!

I have previously found that cleaning fluid off with cylit bang doesn't do them very good. I had a pad fall off the backing plate when I moved the bike. Whoopsy.