A gallon of diesel fuel spilled in the trunk of my car. Anyone got good deodorizing tips? We’ve already used detergents rather than solvents to clean it up, and we’re filling the back with charcoal hoping it’ll reduce odor. Google search produced lots of companies selling products to do this, many with secret ingredients. Anyone experienced in what really works for this?
Most art stores sell citrus solvent that is used to dissolve oil paint. I would suspect it would work, but I haven’t ever tried it in this application. It’s cheap so it couldn’t hurt, and it surely will smell better than it does now.
Around the shop I use kitty litter, it not only absorbs diesel fuel, it also kills the odor. If you have a trunk liner, pull it and launder it.
Alternately, you could use the same technique you used with the mercury spill.
Pine-sol is good stuff for this purpose, but you’re going to have to rinse well, or you’ll have a new problem.
I had Diesel fuel splash back into my face last spring when I was filling up a tractor (damn 3’ long filler tube!). It got into my nostrils and mustache and all over my shirt. I used some citrus-scented hand soap to was my face and it did an admirable job of at least masking the odor so that I could breathe.
Thanks, all. We’re using a combination of charcoal briquettes and kitty litter scattered in the trunk and the back seat, and things are sloooooooooooooowly improving.
None of my business I guess, but I gotta ask…what were you carrying a gallon of diesel in your trunk for? Dispute with the EX? headed for a protest somewhere?
tractor needed fuel. Went to get it in the car. Got it. Went home, fueled tractor, put can back in car. Damndamndamn. Last move was big mistake. Next time I’ll leave the can in the barn, and the goats can look out for themselves!
And it was a 5 gallon can. Actually it was 3 five gallon cans, emptied 12 gallons into tractor, had 3 left over. One spilled out.