Along with its direct application as a fuel, gasoline also has a variety of applications at home. Gas can be used to remove grease stains form the walls and wallpapers, black marks left by shoes on wood and linoleum floors, to clean clothes made of wool and velvet. In this article, you will learn how to get rid of smell of gasoline, because, although it has many useful properties, it also has a very strong smell, which is hard to get rid of.
Safety measures
First, you need to know what you shouldn’t do if you want to get rid of bad smell from your clothes:
- Don’t use any sort of bleach, because it usually contains chlorine. When chlorine reacts with gasoline, it produces vapors that are harmful for humans.
- Washing machine is not your friend when it comes to getting rid of the smell of gas. If you wash your dirty clothes, the smell would permeate the drum and (during the next washings) your other clothes.
So how do you get rid of smells and stains of gasoline?
Ways of elimination smell
So how do you remove the smell from contaminated clothing, if there is time for this? The most effective way is to take the contaminated clothes out onto the balcony, and let them air out. Gas is a volatile substance, so it will air out completely between 2 days and 2 weeks. This method is the easiest, but it is time-consuming. In some cases, the clothing is needed the very next day. In such a situation, it is worth it to use household chemicals.
Dish soap
- Fill a basin with warm water
- Dissolve liquid dish soap in it, and soak your contaminated clothing.
- Wash it with your hands after approximately one hour, and then hang the clothes on the balcony or in the yard.
Advice: wash clothes in warm or hot water for a better effect.
Ironing
Another answer to the ‘how to get rid of gasoline smell’ question is using the iron. We suggest setting the iron to silk mode. Generally, that means it’s 120 degrees.
- Rinse the soiled area well.
- Put clean gauze folded in several layers at the bottom.
- Carefully iron the contaminated area.
When heated, the evaporation process will occur much faster, so the stain will disappear.
Potato starch mixture
For this method you will need:
- 1-3 drops of turpentine;
- 1-3 drops of ammonia;
- 1 tablespoon of potato starch;
- Any brush. It is best to use a toothbrush; it can rub this mixture into the contaminated area more effectively.
Mix all the ingredients well. Rub the mixture into the stain with a brush. Then wash your item with detergent.
Laundry detergent
The most obvious way to get rid of the smell of all.
- Use a detergent with a strong scent. Its scent is enough to get rid of the smell fast and without a trace.
- Wash a dirty shirt or pants in a basin.
- Hang things on the street or balcony to dry.
Lemon juice
When our grandmothers wondered how to remove the smell of gasoline, they chose a method that is used by generations and does not pose a great expense. Just add lemon juice to the water 1:3 and wash with detergent.
Baking Soda
Everyone knows that with the help of baking soda, you can easily and quickly remove traces of sweat, but not everyone knows that it also deals well with traces of oil products.
- Make a solution of baking soda in the following proportions: four tablespoons per glass of water.
- Using a napkin or a cotton disc, distribute this mix on the stained area.
- Leave it for an hour.
- Then wash your clothing the usual way using your detergent.
Ammonia
This affordable product can help you remove bad smells from your clothes. In addition, it can be found in any drugstore.
- Using a cotton ball, apply a small amount of ammonia to the contaminated area.
- Wash it using detergent.
Advice: you can use a spray bottle to make this even easier.
A few more methods
Also, you can buy mechanics’ soap – it can be found in auto parts or hardware stores.
- take a cotton ball
- apply a small amount of soap onto it
- gently rub the substance into the stained area on clothing
- leave it for 30-40 minutes
- rinse clothes in clean water without using any solutions
You should remember that if the contamination is strong, then one washing won’t get the job done. In some cases, these methods might have to be repeated two or three times before the stain and unpleasant aroma are removed.
If the circumstances require fast and reliable results and mentioned methods do not work, then you have to go to the dry cleaners.
Tip: when contacting the dry-cleaning service, you should make sure that you are given a receipt, in which there is an entry about complete elimination of stains and odors.
Removing smell from leather
It is also worth mentioning gasoline getting on leather. In most cases, dry cleaning is unavoidable, but you can try the method below.
- Take laundry soap and grate it.
- Dissolve it in warm water.
- Dip a cotton ball into this solution.
- Wipe the spot well, then wipe dry the rest of the solution with a dry cloth
If you don’t want to spoil the grater, you can use a regular knife. It will shred the soap just as well, and is much easier to wash.
Now you know how to remove the smell of a petroleum product, not only by means of dry cleaners’, but also on your own.