I spilled some gasoline, maybe a quarter cup or so, into the foot well area, or whatever you call that area in front of the passenger seat. I poured warm soapy water into the area and blotted it up with a sponge, but it still stinks. I’m thinking of pouring boiling hot soapy water into the area and using a scrub brush and then a shop vac to suck the water. Any suggestions?
Gas vapor inside a running shop vac = bad idea.
Good ventilation and maybe a fan blowing on the area for a while. ( doors open )
Then will be safe enough to try to get the smell out.
Plain water and gas will float on top so soaking up with paper towels is the safe way to go IMO.
The lasting smell may be covered with a carpet freshner for a while with frequent vacuuming after 24 hrs until smell is bearable.
I don’t mind the slight smell so total smell removal I don’t know. Google is your friend.
Get some Greased Lightning. It’s a heavy duty all purpose cleaner and stain remover. It removed the gas odor from the trunk in my Honda Ridgeline.
What about saturating the area with acetone and then blotting it up. It is a powerful (and flammable!) solvent and dries quickly without leaving any odor.
This sounds like a great way to burn off the gasoline residue but may not be the best way to treat your car and person.
I’ve done this as a gentle option. Use a rag damped in vegetable oil and get to work on it with a brush, then let it sit for 10 minutes or so and blot it as dry as you can. Squirt some dawn dish soap on the spot and work it in with some water and a brush, let this sit, then soak as much as you can up. Put an old towel over the mostly dried spot overnight to catch any volatiles left behind. Then let it dry out (leave the door or windows open, park in the sun. You’ll still have a slight smell, but not enough to notice when you are sitting in the car driving. The remainder will fade over a couple weeks and you can just use carpet fresh to cover it up until then. I think it works because the oils and the dish soap envelop the gas and let it come out easier, but that is my WAG, all I know is that it works really well. If you smoke, be on the safe side and don’t smoke in the car for a week.
It really gets rid of like 90% of the smell and it won’t screw your carpet or plastics up.