Gasoline on Gloves.

Updated on January 02, 2009
L.N. asks from Saint Joseph, MI
11 answers

Hi all~
My son dripped gasoline on his gloves and i can't get the smell out. I've tried Oxy, double strength detergent, even resorted to liquid cleaner....no luck. Yes, I know I'm not supposed to wash them in the washer...any ideas? The smell was making me sick so I had to throw them outside.

~L.

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So What Happened?

Well....nothing worked and I just gave up since they were a junky pair we had laying around the house for just such uses as gasoline, oil, etc. So, I guess they served their purpose and didn't die in vain! LOL

Thanks for the advice...some of it I used and some of it I'm storing away in my brain for next time!

~L.

Featured Answers

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B.M.

answers from Detroit on

Good morning L.!

I have never tried it for gasoline specifically... but I have used Lestoil for other "oil based" staines before and it works great. (And it has such a strong smell itself that it may just knock out the gas smell and leave you with the Lestoil smell!!)

I learned about Lestoil from my Grandma... and it has rarely let me down!

Good Luck!And Merry Christmas!
B.

1 mom found this helpful

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A.B.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Two things to try: 1) put in airtight bag with a bowl of vinegar for 3-4 days, and 2) put in airtight bag with charcoal for a few days to absorb the odor. Be careful not to let the charcoal touch the gloves. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.D.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Here is what I have heard for fabric

1. Sprinkle baking soda, cornstarch, or other absorbent on the stain. Let stand for about 30 minutes, and then brush off.

2. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover.

3. Launder, using the hottest water safe for the fabric. Let fabric air-dry until you are certain the stain is completely removed. Do not dry in tumble dryer.

I don't know if it will still work because you have washed the gloves and it isn't fresh...but you might want to keep it in mind for later :)

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T.A.

answers from Grand Rapids on

L.,

My husband is a farmer ane he has gotten gasoline, diesel feul, and hydrolic oil and numerous other petroleum products on his clothes at one time or another. One thing I have had limited success with is ammonia, it is a grease cutter and may help. Also its ok to wash them, just don't put them in the dryer!! There can be residual fuel on them and the heat from the dryer could ignite them, and you don't want that!

As a last resort I have just left his pants/coveralls/coats whatever he has contamintad outside either draped over the porch or on the clothesline and sometimes the weather itself will do the job. Sometimes we end up throwing them out. I don't understand why one time I can get the smell out and other times I can't. Good luck!

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P.S.

answers from Jackson on

Throw them in the trash!!!! And buy him a new pair. The fumes from the gasoline are highly flammable/explosive!!!! Even if you get the smell out, if he gets to close to an open flame - it could be disasterous. Gloves can be replaced, his hands can't be.

Sounds like a good socking stuffer to me! :)

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K.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Have you tried lemon juice, vinegar, or dawn dish soap. Gasoline is an oil, so maybe shampoo will work (it's the best grease fighter around!)

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

:( good luck with that one...I have never found anything to take the smell out short of throwing them out.

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M.G.

answers from Detroit on

Fuel is mixture of various hydrocarbons. Some of those hydrocarbons have low boiling points and hence will evaporate pretty easily, others have much higher boiling points - and those are the ones that just hang around and you keep smelling, especially if you have a sensitive sense of smell. The heavy hydrocarbon "ends" won't flash very readily, it's the low molecular weight ones that contribute mostly to gasoline's flash point.

Well, the bottom line is - it's very difficult to remove a gasoline smell because there are some hydrocarbon components that just don't evaporate very readily, especially in cold weather. If the gloves are a synthetic knit or another material that will tolerate water and detergent, you could try soaking them in in a container w/ lukewarm water & detergent, and if you're not worried about how the material will react to the water or detergent, maybe even pretreat them w/ a more concentrated solution of water/detergent. You need the detergent to get the hydrocarbons into the water. I wouldn't wash them in the washer because the agitation and spinning might stretch the material and it may not return to original shape. I'd just gently wash them by hand and then go through several water rinses in the same manner.

If the gloves are wool, washing will probably shrink them, unfortunately. You may have to wait until summer and hang them outside for a few days when the weather is nice and hot.

I never wear my good gloves when handling fuel, I keep a "yucky" pair around for refueling cars, snowblowers, or any fuel handling chores. Or I use a napkin or paper towel when I've at the gas station. Like you, I just can't stand the smell of fuel.

Good luck!

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

FREBREEZE! Merry Christmas!

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T.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I ended up using ammonia on mine. I soaked them in a bucket of really warm water and some ammonia It eliminated the oiliness from the gas and also helped eliminate the smell. Good luck to you.

K.H.

answers from Detroit on

Give them some time to air out. Try washing them in the sink with dish soap and then wring them out a little and lay them out flat to dry.

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