It is no secret that gasoline stains are some of the most stubborn you can encounter. Whether you work as a mechanic every day or you just got some gasoline on your shirt while filling up your tank, we are here to help you.
Here are 5 helpful tips on how to get gasoline out of clothes.
Is It Safe to Wash Clothes With Gasoline Stains?
As you already know, gasoline is highly flammable. Thus, it might be best to give it a thorough hand wash before putting it in the washer. That way, you’ll get most of it out and eliminate the chance of a fire occurring. In addition, you’ll get the foul odor out as well, which is a plus.
You should always treat the stain before washing it, regardless of its size. That will make the entire process easier and safer and help you save time.
Washing Tips
1. Pre-Treatment Is Important
As already mentioned, you need to pre-treat the stain before doing any actual washing. That includes scrubbing at it with paper towels. Doing so will get any excess gas out of the fabric, making the garment safer for machine washing.
Then, you can pour a stain remover liquid on the clothing item. Scrub at the stain with a scrub brush until you spread the cleaning agent you chose. It will penetrate deep into the fibers of the garment, removing any lingering gasoline.
Leave the clothes to soak for about half an hour, and then wash thoroughly.
2. For Persistent Stains
If the stain is still visible after soaking the garment for half an hour, the cleaner you chose is probably not strong enough to remove it. But worry not. In such cases, there are quite a few solutions you can try out.
For example, you can spread baking soda paste on the stain or treat it with vinegar. Even Coca-Cola can be helpful, as the harsh acidic chemicals inside it do wonders for dissolving stains. Other cleaners you can try include ammonia and dish soap.
Of course, you should be careful not to damage the clothes themselves. Ammonia and vinegar might break down the color of your shirt or pants, so you should read the washing tag on the garment before doing anything.
3. After Pre-Treatment
When you are sure that the stain is fully gone, you can proceed with washing. While it is pretty safe to throw the clothing item in the washer at this point, it is still best to hand wash it first.
After you are done with the handwashing, you can either leave the garment to dry or put them inside your washer for another round.
4. Don’t Use Your Dryer
It is of utmost importance that you don’t use your dryer for clothes with gasoline stains. For one, it can help set any remaining stains that you couldn’t get out completely, making them impossible to remove later.
Moreover, if there are any lingering fumes on the clothes, the dryer could catch fire. Thus, it is best to leave the clothes dry naturally.
5. Repeat If Necessary
When the clothes dry, check them for residual stains. If you find any, you can repeat the pre-treatment and washing processes above until you get the stain out.