Removing Gasoline from Car Carpet

How do you remove gasoline from my car's carpet?

Ingrid from Blind Bay, British Columbia

Answers:

Removing Gasoline from Car Carpet

First of all. A basic chemical property is that "likes dissolve likes". So, in order to remove gasoline you must use an oil based product. I used Lestoil and water and rubbed it into the gasoline (let it sit for about an hour.) Then, I took detergent (like Tide) with water and rubbed that into the area (let it stand for another hour).

Then I used a vacuum cleaner that aspirates water. I dried the whole area (and let it finish air drying about 1/2 hour). Then I poured rubbing alcohol over the whole area and let it air dry for 2 hours. The smell was gone. (08/28/2006)

By Isabel

Removing diesel fuel from Car Carpet

Clean area with Dawn or Joy, vacuum with a shop vac. Take a cake pan or some large surface container and cover the bottom of the container with vanilla. Set the container in the vehicle for 24 - 48 hrs and the vanilla will absorb all the odor. (08/31/2007)

By John S.

Removing Gasoline from Car Carpet

What will help is if you simply leave the item (car or whatever) open in the sun all day. Gas will evaporate given enough time. At least enough to make it bearable, until one can try one of these more involved methods. (01/27/2008)

Removing Gasoline from Car Carpet

Just sprinkle the unused dry coffee grounds all over any spots or smelly areas. I bought the cheapest brand and sprinkled it liberally. If you want, every couple of days you can swish them around, but after about 2 weeks the smell should be gone. Just clean the grounds out. If it still smells, do it again. This worked for me when I got kerosene in the back of my car. It just smells like coffee inside your vehicle and not the gas/kerosene. You can then wash it with a solution of Dawn and water. (07/09/2008)

By Linda

Removing Gasoline from Car Carpet

Gasoline leaked from a container in the back seat of my SUV the other day while I was driving home from a gas station. The odour was horrendous by the time I got home as it had soaked a two foot square section of the carpet. I purchased some Prosolve Carpet Cleaner and sprayed it on yesterday morning and it worked wonders. Today there was only a minor smell and I sprayed it again. It is drying now, but I suspect the smell will be entirely gone by tomorrow.

I sprayed the section of the carpet liberally with Prosolve and rubbed it around. I then let it sit 15 minutes. I then used toweling paper (2 rolls) to blot it up until the area was dry. I left the car doors and windows open for a few hours to let the air at it and then closed them overnight.

As I said, when I opened the car this morning, the smell was almost completely gone. And there was no discolouration of the grey carpet at all. I went through the process today, but did not need to use as much Prosolve.

I was amazed at how simple this process was. Having read earlier posts I was concerned I might not ever get rid of the smell. Fingers crossed.

Cheers (09/10/2008)

By Cal Gundy

Removing Gasoline from Car Carpet

I had a gas can in the back seat of a car and some spilled out. First I opened the trunk and passage way to the backseat and put a house fan on the floor of the backseat. Leaving the trunk and windows open I left the fan on overnight in the garage for a couple of days and that took care of the problem. I also sprayed Febreze in the trunk and backseat.

(09/14/2008)

By Gary B