How To Get Rid of Gasoline Smell In Garage

How To Get Rid of Gasoline Smell In Garage

The smell of gasoline can be a bit polarizing– some people love it, but most people find it to be too harsh and unpleasant. It can also cause lightheadedness or headaches, especially if the smell is lingering in an enclosed space, such as your garage. As the scent is one that is so strong, it is hard to neutralize, too. Read on below for some tips for getting rid of the smell of gasoline. 

How To Get Rid of Gasoline Smell In Garage

Spilled gasoline can be very smelly, especially when it is spilled in areas that do not have good ventilation, like your garage. If not dealt with, the scent can linger for a very long time, so you will want to be sure that you address it as soon as possible. Take a look at the below steps for a surefire way to get rid of the gasoline smell in your garage. 

Step One

If you have a cat, you are in luck! This first step involves cat litter, which you should already have if you have a cat at home. If you do not, though, never fear– cat litter is easy to find at pet stores and even most supermarkets.

What you will need to do first is pour odor absorbent cat litter onto any area that is still wet. Then, once it has sat and soaked up the gasoline for an hour or two, you can sweep the cat litter into the garbage. 

Step Two

This step can be skipped if the cat litter does the trick, but it can also help to be more thorough. 

Create a mixture of baking soda, white vinegar, and water to make a paste, and then apply the paste to the affected spots. Let it dry, and then wipe it up or sweep it into the garbage like with the cat litter! 

Step Three

This next step calls for a dish detergent that is specifically designed to remove grease. 

What you should do is pour this dish detergent onto the garage floor and begin scrubbing the area with a brush and warm water. Once that is done, you can wipe the area with a clean, wet rag.

Step Four

This step helps to finish up cleaning gasoline in your garage, but can be skipped if you do not want the strong odor of pine in your space. You will need a pine scented disinfectant here.

Use the disinfectant to mix a concoction of water and disinfectant, and then pour it on the affected area. You will then need to scrub the area with a brush and wipe it up with a rag!

How To Get Rid of Gasoline Smell on Clothes

Have you spilled gasoline on your clothes? If you have, you will want to be sure to act quickly to take action in order to eliminate the odor from your clothes. Take a look at the how to below to learn how to get rid of the gasoline smell on your clothes. 

Step One

This step is one of the simplest, but you should air out the item of clothing overnight. If it was a significant amount of gasoline that you spilled on yourself, you may also need to soak the clothing for 60 minutes before air drying. Often, this step will solve the issue and you will not need to continue!

Step Two

However, if step one did not solve your issue, you will need to mix a paste, similar to the one we discussed in step two of dealing with gasoline in your garage. Mix a paste of hot water, baking soda, and vinegar and spot treat the item of clothing. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before moving onto step three.

Step Three

Wash and rinse your affected clothing in the washing machine, but be sure to do so separately from other clothing that was not affected by the gasoline or treated. If you take the item out of the dryer and it still smells like gasoline, you can repeat steps two and three. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What cancels out the smell of gasoline?

If you have spilled gasoline in your garage, you will want to act quickly so that the smell does not linger. First, do your best to soak up all of the spilled gasoline with rags or old towels. Then, you should mix up a concoction of white vinegar, hot water, and baking soda, all in equal parts. This will help you to neutralize the smell. Then, you can wipe up the mixture with some more clean towels.

What takes gasoline smell out of concrete?

If you have spilled gasoline on concrete– such as the concrete floor of your garage– you should treat the area with a mixture of white vinegar, hot water, and baking soda. It should be a thick paste, so if it is too liquidy, add more baking soda. Let the concoction sit for several hours before wiping it up and finishing cleaning the area with rags or old towels. 

How long does it take for gasoline smell to dissipate?

Gasoline has a very strong and abrasive odor, so if you spill it in your garage, you are likely wondering how quickly the smell will go away! Unfortunately, if not treated properly, gasoline smell can last for a long time, especially in enclosed spaces like your garage. Any affected clothing should be soaked in vinegar for 60 minutes before air drying outside for 24 hours. Spills in the garage should be wiped up and treated with a baking soda, white vinegar, and hot water mixture. 

How do you get rid of gasoline?

Gasoline is not a mixture that can simply be dumped out if you need to get rid of it. Instead, you will need to bring it to your closest hazardous waste disposal area. The employees there will be able to handle the disposal of the gsa from there. 

James from the Privateers Garage
About the author

Lucas is one of the core writers and researchers for the Privateers Garage. He lives in Canada and Arizona and has two Garages. He loves writing about garage living, tech and getting stuff done. He is also a professional musician and sound guy.