How to Clean Gasoline Out of Carpet

Remove gasoline stains from your carpet.

Gasoline that is tracked inside the house from your shoes can be difficult to remove from your carpeting, as the chemical can quickly set into the fibers of the carpet and produce a pungent, lingering odor. Chemical cleaning agents can reduce the odor of the gasoline, but should be avoided as harsh chemicals can result in damaged carpeting, according to Deirdre Imus, author of "Green This! Greening Your Cleaning."

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup baking soda
• Vacuum cleaner
• 3 clean, white cloths
• Dry cleaning solvent
• 1 tbsp. liquid dishwashing soap
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 cups warm water
• Small mixing bowl

Instructions

1. Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda evenly over the gasoline stain on the carpet, and allow the baking soda to set into the stain for 10 to 15 minutes, according to the Good Housekeeping site. The baking soda neutralizes the smell of the gasoline when it is sprinkled directly onto the stain.

2. Vacuum the baking soda from the carpet, and dispense a nickel-sized amount of dry cleaning solvent onto a clean, white cloth.

3. Dab the stain until the stain is damp with the dry cleaning solvent, followed by blotting the stain until the stain is dry.

4. Pour 1 tbsp. of liquid dishwashing soap, 1 tbsp. of white vinegar and 2 cups of warm water into a mixing bowl. Mix the cleaning solution well, and dip a clean cloth into the cleaning mixture.

5. Saturate the stain with the wet cleaning cloth to ensure the carpet absorbs the solution.

6. Dampen a clean cloth with cool water, and blot the stain to absorb the cleaning solution from the carpet. Allow the wet spot to dry overnight.

References

• "Green This! Greening Your Cleaning"; Deirdre Imus; 2007
• Good Housekeeping: How to Remove Gasoline Stains