How to remove gasoline smell from clothes: effective ways and methods

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Author of the article

Svetlana Pavlikhina

Reading time: 7 minutes

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Benin is a tool that is used not only by car enthusiasts. It is actively used in various cases, and the question arises of how to get rid of the smell of gasoline and remove its stains on clothes. There are effective methods that can be used to restore things and remove persistent odors.

Can gasoline wash off clothes?

When fuel gets on clothing, dense, greasy marks are formed that are difficult to remove. It is even more difficult to remove their smell. You can quickly remove gasoline from clothes when the stain is fresh.

Do not put soiled items in a common pile with dirty laundry or in a washing machine where other clothes are located..

In the first minutes after gasoline gets on the fabric, it is treated with detergent, laundry soap or ammonia. In this case, there will be no problems with removing fuel from clothing.

The question often arises about whether it is possible to remove odor without washing the item. If a shirt or jeans is left outside or in a draft for several hours after gasoline gets on them, the “aroma” of fuel and lubricants will disappear.

What not to do

Before you make a decision, remember what you definitely shouldn’t do. Otherwise, you can cause irreparable harm to your clothes and nothing will help them.

• If you wash dirty clothes in an automatic washing machine, not only will it not remove the smell from it, but the washing machine will also absorb some of the aroma and release it during subsequent use. That is, when washing the next batch of clothes, they will also become saturated with gasoline. The problem will only increase, so do not machine wash it.
• The second thing you should avoid using is bleach. Gasoline will certainly enter into a chemical reaction with them, which can lead to toxic fumes that will accompany the wearer for a long time. Don't be surprised if this causes you to constantly have headaches or other parts of your body.

If the stain is not large, you can soak the clothes in a basin and rinse them in detergent. Leave it in this state to settle well. Then you can use a washing machine, but make sure that the smell is not intense.

Unfortunately, to remove the smell of gasoline from clothes you will have to do a lot of work manually. In addition, this process is not quick and often takes a long time. Therefore, be patient and do not expect that tomorrow you will be able to wear your favorite thing.

Why does an unpleasant odor linger on fabric for a long time?

Gasoline is an oily substance; when it comes into contact with any material, it is quickly absorbed, penetrating deeply into the structure of the fabric.
As volatile fuel vapors evaporate, they emit a specific odor. It's quite difficult to get it out.

In the first days, the concentration of substances on the fabric fibers is high, and therefore the aroma is strong. By hanging a soiled item on the balcony for a day, you can get rid of the unpleasant odor.

Precautionary measures

Before you start removing gasoline traces from fabric, it’s worth figuring out what you should never do.
Wrong actions can not only irrevocably destroy the outfit, but also cause serious harm to the health of the owner. Prohibited practices include:

• The use of “Whiteness”, since the chlorine contained in it, interacting with gasoline, triggers a strong chemical reaction. As a result, toxic fumes are formed that are harmful to the human body.
• Washing in a washing machine, which is effective for other types of contaminants, in the case of gasoline can result in serious trouble for the owner of the equipment. Particles of petroleum product will instantly fall on the drum, and in the future all laundry found inside the household appliance will be saturated with the smell of fuel.
• Soaking or washing gasoline-stained items in warm water is contraindicated. After such a procedure, it will be almost impossible to get rid of the unpleasant aroma.

Additional Information! To eliminate the smell of gasoline, clothes should be washed in cold, or better yet, ice water.

How to prepare a gasoline-damaged item for washing

After contact with fuel, clothing is removed and dried in the fresh air. It’s good if the weather is sunny: direct rays quickly evaporate volatile odorous substances.

The greasy stain is covered with a slurry of detergent and water or thoroughly rubbed with a bar of laundry soap, left for about 2 hours, then washed by hand.

It is not recommended to wash a damaged item in a washing machine together with other clothes: gasoline particles quickly transfer to other fabrics, and the washing machine absorbs an odor that will appear during subsequent washes.

Fighting unpleasant odor

After the stains from clothes and shoes are removed, you need to take measures to get rid of the terrible, pungent smell.

Proven techniques:

1. Toothpaste. Mint paste will help remove the harshest aroma. Dilute 2 tablespoons of toothpaste in 200 ml of water and pour over the washed areas of the product. A simpler option is to spread a thick layer on the area where the gasoline got in. Leave in this condition for at least two hours, rinse thoroughly and dry in fresh air.
2. Special conditioner. The most reliable and effective way is to rinse in a concentrated fabric conditioner designed for washing clothes. Air dry, rinse again and hang outside again.
3. Long-term ventilation. A simple and quick method that removes the odors of diesel fuel and gasoline. The washed product can simply be hung in the fresh air and left for several days. This will allow the most pungent aroma to dissipate.
4. Kerosene. No matter how strange it may sound, but thanks to kerosene you can eliminate the smell of diesel fuel. Use exclusively household kerosene, add it to a bowl of cold water and soak the clothes for thirty minutes. Rinse and hang outside.

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Folk remedies

You don't have to resort to expensive household chemicals to remove gasoline from things. You can deal with stains at home using improvised means that can be found in every home.

Baking soda

The substance is used with acetic acid. Sodium carbonate powder is thickly applied to the contaminated area and vinegar is added. As a result of the reaction, the mixture will begin to foam, attacking the stain.

Instead of vinegar, you can use lemon juice. The fruit is cut in half, the juice is squeezed onto the stain treated with soda. Lemon can quickly eliminate the smell of petroleum products.

Lemon acid

Citric acid, diluted to the consistency of thick sour cream, will help you quickly and easily remove grease and odor.

The product is applied to fresh or old stains for 10-15 minutes. Afterwards the item is washed. This recipe is not suitable for colored fabrics: a light stain remains at the site where it was applied.

Mustard

Mustard powder is diluted with water. The resulting thick paste is applied to the stain and left for 15 minutes.

The mustard layer is removed, the item is washed using laundry soap, and then powder.

Starch

Starch can be used to make a good bleach.
It is diluted in equal proportions with turpentine and ammonia. The resulting mixture is applied to the damaged area, rubbed with an old brush, a toothbrush will do. Then the item is washed with powder.

If yellow stains remain after drying, they can be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide.

Boiling

If gasoline stains on clothes cannot be removed by regular washing, boil the item for 10-15 minutes with powder or laundry soap grated on a coarse grater.

This method is not suitable for colored products: they may fade.

Soaking in water

To get rid of oil stains, before washing the item is soaked for several hours with bleaching powder.

Before the procedure, you can apply stain remover or soap to the damaged area. This way you can wash away any dirt. Afterwards the item is washed by hand.

Ventilation

After washing, the item is left to dry in the fresh air, straightened out. A draft can remove the smell. Volatile substances with a characteristic amber evaporate.

Ammonia

An ammonia solution (ammonia) is used to quickly remove fuel stains. To do this, mix the liquid with salt (1:1), add 3 parts of water.

The damaged fabric is soaked in this solution for 15-30 minutes, then washed by hand with the addition of bleach. Ammonia, if you moisten a cloth with it and hang it outside, will help remove the unpleasant odor.

Acetic acid

Vinegar is applied to the stain from the back and front sides. After 15 minutes the action is repeated.

The item is soaked in acetic acid for up to half an hour, then washed by hand using a good bleaching powder.

Using an iron

Heating with an iron is carried out after washing if the stain is not completely removed and the unpleasant aroma is still present.

The ironing board is covered with newspaper, the damaged item is placed on top, and covered with a second layer of newspaper. Afterwards, set the iron to maximum power and iron the stain, traces of which remain after washing.

The newspaper absorbs all petroleum oils remaining on the fabric, the pungent odor disappears. For white things, take blank sheets of paper.

Washing powder

The product is mixed with water to form a paste. Apply the mixture to the stain on both sides. Allow to soak for half an hour, hand wash in warm water. Use bleaching powders with good fragrance.

Dishwashing liquid

Spilled gasoline is removed with a dry cloth or paper napkin. Afterwards, the stain on the material is covered with dish gel on the front and back sides and rubbed in.

Rinse the item, reapply dish gel, and leave for half an hour. Afterwards, the item is washed by hand using bleaching powder with a strong aroma.

Laundry soap

Lather the stain generously. Afterwards, rinse the fabric several times and reapply soap. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times .

You can soak the damaged item in a solution of laundry soap for half an hour or an hour.

Features of removing unpleasant odors from different types of fabric

When dealing with the smell of diesel fuel and gasoline, you need to pay attention to the type of fabric from which the clothes are made.
The choice of detergent depends on this. Basic recommendations:

1. Cotton items cannot be washed at temperatures above 60 degrees. You can use gentle compounds. The best choice from available products would be dishwashing liquid.
2. Products made of chiffon and wool are washed only by hand, in lukewarm water. After washing, they should not be wrung out or dried in a vertical position. It is better to lay them out horizontally.
3. Wool. Such products can only be washed by hand. The use of bleach is strictly prohibited. This is especially true for angora and mohair products. From available means, it is better to use lemon juice with vegetable oil.
4. Synthetic knitwear can be washed by hand and in a machine, but the water temperature should not exceed 60 degrees.
5. Items made of viscose cannot be washed at temperatures above 40 degrees. To remove the smell of diesel fuel from them, you cannot use the heat method using an iron.
6. Linen can be steamed and washed in hot water, but you need to take into account that after such treatment the item may shrink.

Rules for washing clothes stained with gasoline

When washing things, you must follow the following rules:

1. An automatic machine is not used to remove stains from fuels and lubricants.
2. You cannot wash a damaged item with others: the greasy stains and smell will transfer to them, and the clothes will be ruined.
3. Before washing, stains are treated with available products, and then soaked, otherwise the procedure will be ineffective.
4. To wash items that have been stained with gasoline, choose only strong detergents that contain bleach and conditioner with a strong odor.
5. When choosing a bleach, you need to consider the type of material so as not to harm the structure of the fabric.

Is it possible to do without washing?

There are 3 options for removing technical odors from things without washing:

1. Ventilation. Clothes are left outside (balcony) for several days or a week, depending on the size of the stain. If possible, hang it in a draft. Frosty air is especially good at eliminating the strong smell of gasoline.
2. If hanging clothes outside is not possible, you need to cover the stain on all sides with newsprint. It will absorb both the greasy stain and the aroma. It is better to change the newspaper periodically. After several days, when the smell noticeably decreases or disappears, clothes should be hung up for airing, at least in the apartment.
3. You can remove the persistent smell of gasoline without ventilating or washing clothes. To do this, rub the stain thoroughly with washing powder, leave for a few minutes, and then rinse. You need to put a rag on this place and iron it with a maximally heated iron (depending on the type of fabric) until the stain is completely dry.

Gasoline, in principle, does not wash well, so even when using the washing method, you should first use one of the indicated methods. This will significantly increase the chances of saving the clothes.

Local cleaning methods

Any petroleum refining product can leave dense stains that are difficult to remove. They are removed in the same way as greasy stains.

In the first minutes after the oil product gets on the fabric, you should sprinkle the resulting stain with salt, then clean it with a brush, and repeat the procedure. Salt prevents the oily substance from penetrating deeper, and it is easier to wash items treated with sodium chloride.

Do the same when using talc or crushed chalk. It is important to treat the area around the stain as well . Afterwards the item is washed without much effort.

Gasoline stains can also be treated with a solvent. It is applied to the entire stain and the surrounding area, left for half an hour, then washed off.

How to remove odor from fabrics

After one wash it is difficult to get rid of the petrol scent.
The procedure should be repeated several times, using powders with a strong aroma or conditioners, and the item should be ventilated after each wash.

Special odor eliminators are also used. They are sold in car stores. These products are more effective than others in dealing with persistent odors.