How to Clean a Lamp Oil Spill
Oil spills are among the most difficult messes to clean up, because oil does not mix with water; oil tends to spread when water is introduced, making an even bigger mess. The oil spill must first be contained to ensure that the oil doesn't continue to spread. Cleaning lamp oil spills is essential because the spilled oil leaves a strong, lingering odor and potentially flammable fumes. The best approach to cleanup depends on the type of surface onto which the oil is spilled. The spills are easiest to clean from hard, nonporous surfaces. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Towels
- Paper towels
- Baking soda or baby powder
- Vacuum cleaner
- Citrus-based cleaning product
- Dish detergent
- Kitty litter or sand
- Degreasing cleaning product
- Clear sheet plastic
Instructions
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Carpet
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Blot up as much of the oil as possible with clean towels or paper towels. Do not scrub or push too hard, because this pushes the oil further into the carpet and the pad underneath, which sometimes makes the smell permanent.
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2
Sprinkle the carpet with baking soda or baby powder to absorb as much of the moisture as possible if it is a fresh stain; work it through as much of the carpet as possible without scrubbing. Leave on the carpet for about 30 minutes, and then vacuum.
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3
Spray the area with a citrus-based cleaning product, making sure the label indicates it is safe for use on carpet; citric acid helps to break down oil stains. You can also try fresh lemon juice on the stain, but test in an inconspicuous area to ensure it doesn't affect the carpet color.
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4
Blot the area with paper towels, absorbing as much of the citrus cleaner and oil as possible.
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5
Saturate the area with a mixture of dish detergent and warm water and leave it for 1/2 hour. You want to saturate the carpet as much as possible without soaking the carpet pad, so add just a little soapy water at a time.
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6
Blot the stain with a clean, dry cloth to pick up as much of the stain as possible. The dish liquid helps to break down the oil so you can pick it up.
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7
Rinse the area with cold water and repeat the soapy water process as necessary until the stain is gone.
Hard, Nonporous Surfaces
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8
Cover the stain with a generous amount of a dry, absorbent material such as kitty litter, sand, baking soda or baby powder. Leave on the stain for about 10 minutes, allowing it to absorb most of the oil stain.
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9
Sweep up the oil-soaked material. Discard this as you would any other flammable material.
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10
Spray the spot with your regular household degreasing cleaner and wipe up with paper towels. Repeat if the surface still seems excessively oily.
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Mop the surface with a mixture of hot water and your regular dish liquid. Repeat as necessary until all the oil is gone.
Hard, Porous Surfaces
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12
Blot up as much of the oil as you can with dry paper towels. Do not wipe with the paper towels, because this spreads the oil stain.
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13
Cover the oil spill with a dry absorbent material such as cat litter, sand or baking soda. Leave this on the stain for 2 hours to give it time to draw up as much of the stain as possible; the oil soaks into porous materials, such as concrete, so allow ample time to remove the liquid.
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14
Sweep up the dry, absorbent material and discard with care as you would discard any flammable material.
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15
Spray the stain generously with your household degreaser cleaning product or apply citric acid, such as plain lemon juice or a citrus-based cleaning product. Cover the entire area, adding extra product where the stains appear to be darker.
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16
Cover the stain with a sheet of clear plastic and hold the edges down with heavy objects; leave covered overnight. This helps to draw the moisture to the surface, which also lifts the oil from the porous material; the degreaser breaks down the oil stain, making it easier to clean.
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17
Remove the plastic sheeting and blot up the moisture with dry paper towels. Check for any remaining oil stains.
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18
Spray remaining oil stains with more degreaser, allow to set for a few minutes and blot with paper towels. Repeat until the stain is gone; cover with plastic for another night if the stain persists.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
