I have had the need in the past a few times to try and give advice to people that have spilled gasoline in a car. I really don't know where to send them. Now my neice has spilled a gallon in her trunk. Where should she go? A detailer, a car dealership etc. What is the best way to handel this type of spill.
Gasoline in the trunk !!!!!
- Thread starter Bud
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Tom Thumb
Active member
Don't know for sure ,but I have heard that putting charcoal in a rag and place in trunk will absorb the gasoline and order?
seattleguy
Member
I did this a few months ago. Someone suggested an ozone machine which i didn't have. I poured bucket after bucket of water on it and kept vacuming it out with a shop vac. I then poured a bunch of vinegar on it and vacumed out. It smelled like a oil and vinegar salad for a while but eventually got better.
Earl Weiss
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Vacuuming gasoline is a recipe for disaster. Your basicaly dumping flammable fumes past a bunch of sparks.
Bubbles Galore
Active member
I dealt with a gas oil mix spill in a Yukon which made it almost unbearable to drive. I had to steam clean it 3 or 4 times and then used my ozone machine for roughly 20 hours. Been perfect since.
I'm selling my ozone machine if you want to purchase it ;-)
I'm selling my ozone machine if you want to purchase it ;-)
seattleguy
Member
By the time I was vacuming the gas was pretty well diluted.
Earl Weiss
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I think if the vapors are strong enough to smell they are strong enough to ignite / explode.
The biggest thing about any kind of petroleum product spill is the smell.
You have to remove anything that the gas had contact with, all carpeting, all plastic, spare tire, jack, etc.
The only thing left should be the unibody of the trunk itself.
DO NOT ever vacuum gasoline! Mop up as much as you can with rags and or paper towels and dispose of them properly.
Use a good quality degreaser on the entire trunk. If you can find the drain plug for rain water, most trunk's have some sort of drain, remove it. Now you can either pressure wash the trunk, or just flush out any remaining gas with a regular hose.
As far as the other items, especially the cloth, or fabric components, the best way to remove the gas is again with a good degreaser and a blast of hot soap from a SS car wash in the bay. You may have to do this many more times than just one time. Once you are satisfied that the gas is gone, wait until the item is totally dry and sniff it for any remaining fumes. If you still smell the gas repeat the whole process. If you don't get the smell out completely, and proceed to put the trunk mat / gas soaked items back in the trunk, the gas fumes will never go away.
We have done this many times at our detail shop and have found this to be the only sure fire way to guarantee the results.
You have to remove anything that the gas had contact with, all carpeting, all plastic, spare tire, jack, etc.
The only thing left should be the unibody of the trunk itself.
DO NOT ever vacuum gasoline! Mop up as much as you can with rags and or paper towels and dispose of them properly.
Use a good quality degreaser on the entire trunk. If you can find the drain plug for rain water, most trunk's have some sort of drain, remove it. Now you can either pressure wash the trunk, or just flush out any remaining gas with a regular hose.
As far as the other items, especially the cloth, or fabric components, the best way to remove the gas is again with a good degreaser and a blast of hot soap from a SS car wash in the bay. You may have to do this many more times than just one time. Once you are satisfied that the gas is gone, wait until the item is totally dry and sniff it for any remaining fumes. If you still smell the gas repeat the whole process. If you don't get the smell out completely, and proceed to put the trunk mat / gas soaked items back in the trunk, the gas fumes will never go away.
We have done this many times at our detail shop and have found this to be the only sure fire way to guarantee the results.
seattleguy
Member
Thanks. I will consider myself lucky.
Waxman
Super Moderator
1. Put on some rubber gloves.
2. Sop up the gas with some old bath towels.
3. Drape the towels over an old lawn chair or similar out of the way; over sand, if you can. The gas will evaporate in a day or so. Dispose of properly.
4. Pull the rubber plug in the trunk bottom.
5. Wash the metal.
6. Blow a fan at it.
7. Replace rubber plug.
2. Sop up the gas with some old bath towels.
3. Drape the towels over an old lawn chair or similar out of the way; over sand, if you can. The gas will evaporate in a day or so. Dispose of properly.
4. Pull the rubber plug in the trunk bottom.
5. Wash the metal.
6. Blow a fan at it.
7. Replace rubber plug.
