Gasoline smell all over my house.

[Megaolkj]

This is going to be kind of an odd post. Okay so my mom got gasoline all over a towel and threw it in the washing machine (along with some other clothes) and turned it on. Now my whole house reeks of gasoline. I tried putting my clothes in the dryer but even after they’ve dried they still smell like gas, along with my whole house. I have the worst headache right now breathing it in. I want to look up ways to fix this but my health anxiety is already skyrocketing and looking up how hazardous it is to breath gas will make it so much worse. Does anyone have any tips for this? Thank you so much.

[ErinKC]

That sounds like a nightmare!! Here's something I found online:

1
Place old towels or textiles of low value in the washer to make a normal load.

2
Start the load of laundry with a warm wash and cold rinse. Open the washer lid once the machine fills with water.

3
Add 2 cups of white vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda to the water.

4
Cycle the washing machine through the normal wash, rinse and spin.

5
Open the washer once the spin cycle completes. Remove the towels or textiles and sniff for remaining gasoline odor.

6
Repeat the process if you can still smell gasoline odor inside the washer. Add a detergent suitable for your washer along with an additional 2 cups of white vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda.

7
Hang the items to dry outdoors if any gasoline odor remains. The fresh air helps remove the odor and is safer than using the dryer when there is the potential that flammable gas fumes remain.


For the drier, if it also smells, it seems like washing with dish soap an/or baking soda can help remove the smell.

I'd start with that and see if the smell goes. Meanwhile, keep your windows open and make sure to track anywhere your mom had the towel before putting it in the washer to clean that area too. It says to lay baking soda down on any area with gasoline and let it sit for a few hours before cleaning it up with dish soap or vinegar.

Good luck!

Things You Will Need
Towels or low-value textiles
White vinegar
Baking soda
Laundry detergent
Tips
If you spill gasoline on textiles, pretreat and wash fabrics by hand until you no longer smell the gasoline.
Wipe white vinegar on the laundry basket or any area that held the gasoline-soaked fabrics. This may be an additional source for the odor.