Yes. Break down residue with dish soap or an enzyme cleaner, absorb with baking soda or oxygen bleach, rinse well, then air-dry far from any flame.
Gasoline clings to fabric, floors, and skin because it’s oily and volatile. The path to a clean nose is simple: stop ignition risks, pull up liquid fuel, break the greasy film, and vent vapors until the smell fades. The steps below cover clothes, car interiors, concrete, asphalt, shoes, and skin. You’ll also see when it’s smarter to retire an item and where it should go.
Gasoline odor basics and safety first
Work in fresh air. Keep flames, sparks, pilot lights, and heaters off. Gas vapors are heavier than air and can drift to an ignition source across the room. Never machine-dry or machine-wash anything that still smells like fuel; air-dry only until the scent disappears. If gasoline touched your skin, remove soaked clothing and wash the area twice with soap and water.
For dryer safety, follow the NFPA tip sheet, which warns against drying items that contacted gasoline. For health guidance, see Poison Control’s gasoline page. For drop-off rules and safe handling of fuel-soaked waste, check the EPA household hazardous waste page.
Fast actions by situation
| Situation | Do this first | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Small splash on clothes | Blot, dust with baking soda, hang outside | Absorbs liquid; vents vapors before cleaning |
| Soaked garment | Bag and park outdoors; treat by hand | Limits vapor spread; keeps fumes out of machines |
| Shoes or gloves | Fill with baking soda or clay litter, wait 24 hours | Porous fill pulls liquid and odor |
| Car interior | Open doors, blot, use enzyme cleaner on fabric | Air moves vapors; surfactants and enzymes cut oily film |
| Concrete floor | Cover with absorbent; scoop into heavy bags | Stops spread and removes pooled fuel |
| Asphalt drive | Absorb, then scrub with dish soap | Surfactants lift petroleum residue |
| Skin or hands | Wash twice with soap and water | Removes residue; eases irritation |
| Washer drum smells | Run a hot cycle empty with oxygen bleach | Oxidizes leftover odor molecules |
Removing the smell of gasoline from clothes safely
Set up outside or by a window. Keep kids and pets away. Isolate the garment from regular laundry. If the fabric drips, place it in a metal or glass pan so vapors can rise instead of pooling in a closed tub.
Step-by-step for light splashes
- Blot. Press paper towels on the spot; don’t rub.
- Dust with baking soda. Leave 30–60 minutes; shake off.
- Pre-treat. Work a small amount of dish soap or a liquid enzyme detergent into the area.
- Soak. Submerge in warm water with oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate). Wait 1–2 hours.
- Rinse and air-dry. Hang outside until the scent fades. Repeat if needed. No dryer until the odor is gone.
Heavy soak incidents
Handle a saturated garment like a small hazmat project. Blot, then pour a thick layer of baking soda or clay litter on and under the fabric. Leave it outdoors in shade for a few hours. Shake off and bag the absorbent for household hazardous waste drop-off. Hand-wash in a bucket with strong dish soap, change the water, then soak in oxygen bleach. If the scent lingers after two full rounds, retire the item.
What to avoid with laundry
- No dryer until there’s zero scent. Residual fumes can ignite.
- No mixing with regular loads. Wash alone by hand.
- No chlorine bleach on fresh fuel spots. Treat oil first; bleach can fix stains and build fumes in tight spaces.
- No enclosed drying racks near heaters or electrical sparks.
How to clear gasoline smell from a car interior
Vent the cabin. Open doors or windows for a steady cross-breeze. Remove mats and any loose fabric pieces. Blot liquid with paper towels and place them in a metal can outdoors. Keep the car out of direct sun while the solvent smell is strong.
Fabric seats and carpets
Use an enzyme upholstery cleaner or a bucket mix of warm water with a few drops of dish soap. Lightly mist or dab, then blot. Avoid soaking the pad under the carpet. After cleaning, sprinkle baking soda over the area for a few hours and vacuum. If odor hides deep in the pad, set bowls of activated charcoal in the footwells overnight and repeat spot cleaning in short passes.
Leather and hard surfaces
Wipe leather with a damp microfiber cloth and a small amount of pH-balanced leather cleaner. Follow with a dry wipe so no cleaner remains on the surface. For plastic trims, use a mild interior cleaner and a soft brush. Remove every liquid trace and let air move through the cabin.
Air and filter tips
Run the fan with outside air selected. If the smell returns each time the fan runs, inspect the cabin air filter and replace it if it absorbed fumes. A fuel scent that appears while driving can point to a real leak; a technician should find that fault before you chase odor control.
Best ways to get gasoline odor out of floors and garages
Concrete and pavers
For a fresh spill, pour an absorbent over the area: clay litter, vermiculite, or a sweeping compound. Push it down with a broom to contact the liquid, then scoop into heavy bags. Park the bags outside until drop-off day. For stubborn stains that still smell, scrub with dish soap and warm water or a concrete degreaser. Pull rinse water into a wet-vac tank, not a storm drain. If a faint scent hangs on, repeat a light scrub the next day instead of flooding the slab.
Asphalt and sealed floors
After absorption, use dish soap and a stiff brush in short, soapy passes. Some sealers soften with fuel; if a dark spot stays tacky, place absorbent again and plan for resealing when the surface stops off-gassing. Keep vehicles and heat sources away from that patch until the smell fades.
Porous items you may need to discard
Cardboard, felt pads, old rags, and crumbly foam trap fuel deep inside. If any whiff remains after a full airing day, bag and take them to household hazardous waste drop-off. Store the bag outdoors until you deliver it.
Skin, hair, and gear: smell removal with care
Hands and skin
Wash with liquid dish soap and warm water twice. Skip harsh solvents. Pat dry and use a plain moisturizer if the area feels tight. If redness or burning continues, call your local poison center using the number on the Poison Control page linked above.
Hair and beard
Massage a teaspoon of dish soap into damp hair, rinse well, then shampoo as usual. Air-dry outdoors if possible so vapors don’t hang in a closed room.
Shoes, gloves, and soft gear
Pack the item with baking soda or clay litter and seal it in a tub for 24 hours. Shake out and sniff. Repeat once. If the scent still clings, replacement is the safe move.
When to throw it away and where it should go
Retire a fabric or soft item if odor returns after two full treatment rounds. That smell signals trapped fuel. Drying or storing that item indoors raises fire risk. Bag the item and take it to a local household hazardous waste drop-off. Never pour rinses or fuel into sinks or storm drains. If you need dates or rules, use your city’s program finder through the EPA page linked near the top.
Do and don’t checklist
| Do | Why | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ventilate and kill ignition sources | Vapors can drift to flames or sparks | Open windows; no smoking |
| Absorb before you wash | Removes liquid fuel that feeds odor | Clay litter or baking soda work well |
| Use enzyme cleaner or oxygen bleach | Breaks oily residue and smell | Great on fabrics and carpets |
| Air-dry until scent is gone | Prevents dryer fires | Sun and breeze help |
| Dispose through HHW | Keeps fuels out of drains and trash | Check local drop-off rules |
Quick odor-busting recipes that work
These simple mixes target the greasy film that keeps a gas smell hanging around. Test on a hidden spot and follow label lines.
Baking soda paste
Mix three parts baking soda with one part water. Spread on fabric or concrete, let it dry, then brush away and rinse. Repeat on stubborn patches. This also helps on rubber mats that picked up drips.
Oxygen bleach soak
Add the labeled dose of oxygen bleach to warm water and soak washable items for one to two hours. Rinse well. This method pairs nicely with a dish-soap pre-treat on dark, oily marks.
Enzyme cleaner trick
For car fabric or washable rugs, mist an enzyme cleaner, wait for the dwell time on the label, then blot. Enzymes help break tough odor sources that regular soap misses. Finish with a round of baking soda to catch remaining scent.
Charcoal or coffee grounds
Set a bowl of activated charcoal or fresh coffee grounds near the source overnight while deep cleaning does the heavy lifting. Replace the bowl the next night if a trace remains.
Common mistakes that keep the smell around
- Rushing to the dryer. Heat bakes odor in and can ignite fumes.
- Scrubbing a puddle. That pushes fuel wider. Absorb first, then wash.
- Flooding carpet. Pads hold liquid and stay smelly. Use light passes and blot.
- Skipping fresh air. Venting speeds evaporation and shortens cleanup time.
- Tossing absorbent in regular trash. Treat fuel-soaked material as hazardous waste.