Useful Tips On How to Get Diesel Fuel Out Of Clothes

The car owners or those who have to deal with vehicles often know very well how high the possibility to stain the clothing with petrol is. Moreover, such stains are not only hard to remove, but they may also be dangerous for your life and the lives of your household. Here we will explain how to get diesel out of clothes safely and fast.

Why Are Gas Stains So Dangerous?

We all know that gas and any other sort of fuel is very flammable. Now, imagine that you have set a spot – even a tiny one – on your garment or, let’s say, carpet. Immediately this nearly invisible blot makes your apparel or room dangerously easy to set on fire! Even the slightest spark of static electricity would be enough to burn down the house.

That is why it is literally vitally important to handle such sort of stains immediately and, which is more important, with the appliance of correct methods. Wrong cleaning, as well as neglecting the problem, can end up very bad.

how to get diesel smell out of clothes

Emergency Actions to Take When You Find a Gas Or Diesel Spot at Home

There are several steps everyone must take in order to prevent any dramatic situations. So, after you or your family members found the source of the heavy gas odor, you need to: 

Turn off every single electrical equipment you have indoors. This is required because of gas and fuel fumes are extremely flammable being able to ignite even from the slightest spark

Open the windows to let fresh air into the premise thoroughly. Leave them open until you treat the blot and the air gets fresh and clean again

Never wash fuel-stained garments together with other clothes. 

If you washed the apparel that was stained and it still smells bad, don’t put it to the dryer! The hot air inside it can cause everything to burst into fire

what absorbs odor of diesel fuel
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What Steps to Take For Removing Diesel From Clothing

Right after you noticed that stinky oily stain on garments, you must act quickly. To do that, any stain removing liquid based on solvent will do, laundry detergent with enzymes and baking soda. Also, check whether you have a soft brush. 

Begin with preparing the blot. Apply some removing liquid based on solvent or laundry liquid product. Rub the gas mark with the brush gently making the solution get deeper into the fabric

Leave the damaged apparel for a quarter of an hour

The next step is to wash the apparel. Use the highest water temperature acceptable for this kind of fabric

When the wash is finished, check the apparel for any smell or odor. If it can still be sensed, repeat everything from the very beginning

It may happen that, even after several washes, the smell is not gone. In such a case, make a mixture of water and 200 grams of soda and let the fabric stay in there for the whole night. In the morning, wash the apparel once again with usual settings

To dry the garments, it is allowed to use clothes dryer only if there is not a single trace of fuel smell. If it still smells, put it on a drying rack inside the house, but never use electric or gas dryer for this purpose!

How to Remove Diesel Smell From Clothes Once and For All

Diesel fuel and petrol, as well as other kinds of fuel, are known for their heavy odor which can be quite a challenge to destroy. Nevertheless, here is a couple of handy hints that may help.

If your damaged apparel is not too stinky, try to make a mixture of water and 200 grams of ordinary soda. Put your apparel into this solution and leave it for the whole night. In the morning, wash the apparel as usual

In case the fabric smells really bad, take a bucket of warm water with 200 milliliters of non-sudsing ammonia that is meant for a household. Put the apparel into it and close firmly. Let it stay like that during the night. Afterward, take it out of the water and wash the apparel as usual

Additional Methods of Destroying a Fuel Smell

Those who have ever had to deal with fuel stains know exactly how stinky these marks are. Luckily, there are several options useful to remove this heavy diesel smell from apparel forever.

A mixture of water and 200 grams of soda works well for light gas and fuel smell. All that is required is to immerse stained apparel into it and leave for one night

Quite an exotic way is to use Coca Cola! Yes, some say it helps to destroy the gas smell when being added to the detergent right before the wash

If you add one or two cups of white vinegar, it will allow to take away that dreadful smell of petrol, too

For extremely heavy odors, use plain ammonia. Add half a cup mixed with water, but don’t apply it directly to the fabric!

getting diesel out of clothes
thespruce.com

How to Fight With Diesel Fuel Marks On the Carpet

Carpets are not something that is likely to be stained with gas or fuel, however, it is better to keep in mind a couple of useful tricks for being able to treat them if necessary.

So, if you happen to have small stains of diesel fuel on your floor, don’t worry:

Try to do your best to remove as much fuel as possible. Use a piece of cloth, an old towel or napkin

Apply some soda on the fuel mark. It will absorb the oily components and reduce the smell. Let it stay like that for a minimum of four hours

Vacuum the powder. If there is still a damp mark, apply soda again and leave it during the night, then vacuum again. Repeat this procedure as many times as needed

Destroy the mark by using a mixture of one spoon of dishwashing liquid and 200 milliliters of warm water. Brush this mixture into the mark

Press the wet mark with a paper towel or a cloth and wash away the rest of the cleaning mixture. Let it air-dry, but don’t place it by the open fire or any source of heat!

Vacuum meticulously

23 thoughts on “Useful Tips On How to Get Diesel Fuel Out Of Clothes”

    • Well, I’m not sure about washing it without the previous treating. You see, gasoline is rather stinky and sticky, I mean, it gets into the fibers and stays there easily. So even if the spill is fresh, I would recommend you treat the blot first, and then to launder it separately to not make other clothing smelly.

      But in general, washing gasoline out of clothing is possible.

  1. How do you neutralize the smell of diesel fuel on clothes? I set a couple of stains on my t-shirt but they still smell of gas. Any suggestions on what to do?

    • If the smell is not too strong, try baking soda and vinegar since they’re both natural deodorizers. As an option, Listerine is also fine.

      I heard some people use Coke and soda method when you need to soak the item in water and degreaser first, and then re-soak it in a blend of 2 liters of Coke mixed with one pack of baking soda for 12-24 hours. But I’m not sure about how well it works since I never tried.

      Good luck!

    • Hey! I can suggest you use baking soda paste. Just soda and water mixed to the paste-like substance. Apply it onto the stain with a toothbrush and leave for 12-24 hours. Then brush off the dried paste. 

    • Well, I guess it will go away itself after quite a long time, especially if the spill is big. So you’d rather treat the stain according to what is damaged (fabric, leather, etc.).

    • You can, but they must be degreased so use a heavy-duty laundry liquid, e.g. Persil, and launder those items separately. And pre-treat the blot first to make it simpler to wash off.

  2. Does vinegar get gasoline smell out of clothes? Is this method really so good-working?

    • Hi! Yes, it does remove the smell and it’s working, just as it’s said. Vinegar is the natural deodorizer so it can cope with even the big blots.

  3. Do you guys know how to get diesel smell out of clothes in the washer if the stains were pretty old? I removed the stains but the odor is still there, and it’s rather strong. Thanks!

    • Try using baking soda and alcohol. Fill one-quarter of your washing machine with cold water, then add one cup of baking soda and one cup of alcohol. Put your smelly clothing into the machine and let it run through its cycle. This should remove the odor.

  4. Does anyone know how to get diesel smell out of clothes using vinegar? Do I have to wash my clothes with vinegar, or what?

    • I’ve never heard about using pure vinegar for this purpsoe, to be honest. What is this? The method when you cover one strong odor with another one, absolutely unbearable?  

  5. Hello! Could you please explain how to get diesel stains out of clothes and shoes?

    • Hi! Well, since diesel stains are oil-based, regular soap and water won’t get rid of them. You need a degreaser or a heavy duty solvent-based stain removal product (e.g. Tide or Persil). Then you should just wash your stained clothes and shoes (wash them separately!).

  6. I’ve recently washed my diesel-stained t-shirt and pants, and now the dryer’s barrel smells like hell! Does anyone know how to get diesel smell out of the dryer?

    • Maybe, if you wipe the barrel with Listerine or the mix of vinegar and baking soda, it will remove the odor? I know these solutions work for clothes, so perhaps, they will work for the dryer too. 

  7. Could you please explain how to get diesel smell out of front loading washing machine?

    • I know only one method that works. White vinegar. To get rid of petrol and diesel smell in the washing machine, put about a cap full in the drum and put it on a full wash.

  8. Do you guys know how to get rid of diesel smell on skin if soap and water didn’t help?

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