Every driver has had at least one encounter with a gasoline spill. Even if you clean the car thoroughly, gas can leave a strong odor in your vehicle. Many people like the smell of gasoline, but it is important to know that there are many health problems that gas inhalation can cause. So, it is crucial to get rid of that odor as fast as possible.
The Danger of Gasoline Poisoning
Gasoline contains dangerous hydrocarbons that can cause serious health problems when inhaled. Those hydrocarbons are methane and benzene.
When you are inhaling these substances for some time, there is a big chance that you will put yourself at risk of gas poisoning. That will result in difficulty with breathing, pain in the throat or abdominal area, fatigue, and burning of the skin. In addition, gas poisoning can cause vomiting and even the loss of consciousness. Aside from these temporary symptoms, inhaling gas can also harm your lungs. In addition, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause permanent damage to the brain.
There are other long term problems that gasoline poisoning can cause, so it is very important that you remove any gas odor from your vehicle to prevent you and your family from inhaling it.
First, Clean Your Car
I have a whole article dedicated to cleaning your car after gasoline spills. So, before you start dealing with the smell of gasoline in the car, you should read that article. Follow my steps in order to remove any gas residue and clean out your car. After that, you are ready for the next step.
Getting Rid of Gas Smell in Car: List of Solutions
There are a lot of products that you can use in order to get rid of the unwanted gas smell from your car. Also, there is a great chance that you already have some of these products in your household.
1. Essential Oils
If there is not much gas smell left in your car, you can just use essential oils. Essential oils with the best smell neutralizing and disinfecting properties are tea tree, lemon, lemongrass, and orange oil. It is best to mix a couple of different kinds of essential oils to get the most effective results.
In order to eliminate the odor, you just need to mix these oils with water. You will get the best results if you put this mixture in a spray bottle. That will ensure that you spread the scent around evenly without using up too much of the mixture. So, you can purchase a mixing spray, or you can just wash an empty spray from your cleaning products.
When you put the mixture in a spray bottle, you just need to spray it around your car. A great thing about these oils is that you do not have to wash your car after you use them. Not only will essential oils get rid of the gas odor, but they will also make your car smell amazing.
2. Coffee Grounds
Another thing that can help you with getting the gasoline smell out of the vehicle is coffee. There is a big chance that you already have some coffee in your house, so this is a good way to save money.
Coffee is a great smell neutralizer. You should spread coffee grounds around your car so they soak up the smell. It is best to leave the coffee inside your car for at least a week.
A great thing about coffee grounds is that they are dry, so you can use them as many times as you need in order to completely remove the unwanted smell from your vehicle.
3. Cat Litter
Cat litter is a great option for eliminating the gas smell from cars. It absorbs the excess moisture and helps you with the odor.
It is important that you use cat litter as soon as you clean out your car. That way, you will prevent gasoline from evaporating and get the most effective results.
The best way to get the gasoline smell out of your car using cat litter is to spread a larger amount of it around your car and leave it for the next couple of hours. After a couple of hours, you should sweep up cat litter with a broom and dustpan, and put them into a plastic container or a bag. That will prevent the smell from getting out.
If the smell is not removed after a couple of hours, you can try again and leave the cat litter for a day or two. Since this is a dry product, you will be able to use it as many times as you want.
4. Odor Removing Mixture for Your Upholstery
Your car’s upholstery is a part of your vehicle that will require special attention. If the smell gets into the fabric, it will be very hard to get rid of it. So, it is important to clean seat cushions and floor mats in a way that will remove all of the unwanted smell from them. You will need:
- Two containers
- Hot water
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- A rag or upholstery brush
- A vacuum cleaner (optional)
There is a great chance that you already have all of these products in your household. Vinegar, baking soda, water, and a rag will help you to thoroughly clean your upholstery and remove any gas smell left.
The first step is to mix hot water with vinegar in one container, and hot water and baking soda in the other. Then, you should spread the hot water and vinegar mixture around the carpet. The next step is to use a cloth to soak up the mixture. The cloth is also important because of the friction that is created when you use it. That friction will help clean the area better and remove any odor. Instead of cloth you could also use upholstery brush.
After that, you should add the other mixture to the odorous area. Next, with a cloth or vacuum cleaner, clean up the mixture from the carpet. Remove any residue with hot water and leave it to dry out. For more homemade car carpet cleaners check this link.
5. Commercial Odor Removers
Another way that you can get gas smell out of your car is to purchase odor removers. With a little research, you will be able to find the most effective product. It is important to find something that does not have any added smell to it because mixing the product’s smell with gas odor could make the matter worse.
Some of the best gas odor removers are:
- ZORBX Unscented Multipurpose Odor Remover could help you get rid of the unwanted smell. Also, since it has many purposes, you can use this to remove pet or smoke smell, or any other unpleasant odor.
- Briggs and Stratton 100157 15-Count Gas Off Wipes are a great solution for smaller areas. It is safe for the skin, and you can use it on fabrics and plastic surfaces. I also recommend you to research other Briggs and Stratton products, such as their Gas Off Spray.
- An effective product for removing odor is OdorKlenz Source Odor Treatment. This odor treatment contains environmentally friendly and safe ingredients.
There are other great products that remove gas smell efficiently. You can research and compare products by yourself in order to find the best solution to your problem.
What About the Gas Smell in Your Car Garage?
Besides removing the unwanted smell from your car, it is important that you also focus on your garage. Gas smell from the garage can get into your car, or even spread around your house if the garage is next to it.
If you need a solution for the unwanted garage smell, then there is a huge possibility that you already have the means to solve this problem in your house. There are two ways to get the gas smell out of your garage.
The first way is to use cat litter. As previously mentioned, cat litter is great for absorbing any excess moisture. This product is very effective on cement floors.
After you clean your garage, pour cat litter onto the floor and spread it around while the garage is still wet. Leave it for a couple of hours. After that, just sweep the litter off and remove it from the area to avoid spreading gas smell.
If the cat litter was not enough, you could use baking soda, vinegar, and water to clean your garage again and get rid of the gas smell. Baking soda and vinegar neutralize odor, so they are great options for removing the unwanted odor.
Firstly, you need to spray the vinegar on the garage floor. You should leave it on the floor for a couple of hours. Then, you mix baking soda and warm water until it becomes a paste and apply it all over your garage.
When your garage dries, you can just sweep it with a broom. After that, you just need to wash the floor with water, and you will be able to enjoy your odor-free garage.
To Conclude
Gasoline smell can not only be unpleasant, but it can also cause great damage to your health. So, it is important to get rid of the odor from both your car and your garage as quickly as possible.
It is true that getting gas smell out of the vehicle could take up some of your time. But, eliminating the gasoline smell will make your car a healthy place for you and your family.
RELATED POSTS:
- Can You Pump Gas With Your Car On?
- How to Clean Up Gas Spills
- Why Does My Car AC Smell?
- Best Oil Diffusers for Cars
SHARE ON:
- By CarRoar