Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Getting rid of fuel oil smell in clothes, your tip?

RayWohlfarth
RayWohlfarth Member Posts: 1,649

I have never liked the aroma of fuel oil. Sorry to you oil techs. I love working on them and the look of the flame but the smell really gets to me. It causes my sinuses to go haywire. In any event, how do you remove the smell of fuel oil from your clothes. I asked one tech and he said. "I love the smell of oil. Smells like money to me."

I tried washing the clothes I used for an oil service call in a washing machine and the smell spread to the other clothes. Thanks for you input

Sincerely

Smelly in Pittsburgh

Ray Wohlfarth
Boiler Lessons

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,727

    I'd try Simple Green as the laundry detergent for them — and wash them all by themselves

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • leonz
    leonz Member Posts: 1,337

    Rub DL hand cleaner on the oil spots until you see them darken and then leave the clothes for at least one full day before washing by themselves.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,845
    edited September 19

    i'd try soaking in tsp or automatic dishwasher detergent.
    and hot water.

    if you read the warning on the dryer you're not supposed to put them in the dryer

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,400

    Some say "Lestoil"=less oil.

    I don't think I found anything that really worked.

    I sometimes resorted to a pair if coveralls and just let them get smelly and wash occasionally.

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,298

    What's going on that you're getting oil on your clothes? You're not supposed to play in it.

    RayWohlfarthBrassFingerAlan (California Radiant) ForbesEdTheHeaterMan
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,400

    If you work on oil how do you avoid getting fuel on your clothes? I never could.

  • Illinoisfarmer
    Illinoisfarmer Member Posts: 55

    I get a decent amount of diesel fuel, grease, hydraulic and gear oil on my clothing. Not much way around it, it just happens. And I really don't like to wash that stuff in the house washing machine. Plus, I don't think the high efficiency (low water use) washer is as good at getting heavy soil out. I found an old standard fill laundry pair at an estate sale and put them in the shop for washing oily clothes (and everything I wear when spraying chemicals). For oil, fuel, etc., I like Simple Green or a citrus degreaser and a decent amount of laundry detergent in HOT water. If the smell is still there, hanging them in the sunshine and a nice breeze for a day then a rewash usually helps.

    An added thing that I've learned - it's a great idea to keep a change of clothes in the shop for these situations. That walk of shame to the house in boxers and boots is the type of thing that can end up on the internet if a guy isn't careful.

    Alan (California Radiant) ForbesEdTheHeaterMan
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,845

    I know people that keep a wringer washer around for this.

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,005

    My Mom use to add ammonia to the wash…

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • RayWohlfarth
    RayWohlfarth Member Posts: 1,649

    The first time at this job, my son and I rode back with the oil smell for the 4 1/2 hour trip. The installer had loose connections everywhere that leaked. The second trip, we brought a change of clothes and put the oily ones in a contractor bag thanks everyone

    Ray Wohlfarth
    Boiler Lessons
    Big Ed_4HVACNUT
  • offdutytech
    offdutytech Member Posts: 156

    Try a product called citro squeeze. We use it to wash turnoutgear after fires. It works to get that fuel oil smell out of your work clothes as well.

    https://www.scproductsgroup.com/productlines

    HVACNUTAlan (California Radiant) Forbes
  • BrassFinger
    BrassFinger Member Posts: 11

    I worked at a quick lube back in college. It was a long time ago (c. 1990) so I'm sure things have changed. However, we occasionally (and literally) took a bath in used motor oil, nasty burnt transmission fluid, grease, gear oil, etc. We had company uniforms that we would wear and get laundered by a service and returned. I don't know how they did it, but no matter how much gak and schmag we would get all over them, they would come back clean with almost zero trace of ever being dirty and with no residual smell, either. I would love to know what chemicals and wash process was used because when I get even something simple like clean hydraulic fluid or some food grease on my pants I can barely get it out using straight Zep purple as a pretreat and a hot water wash!

  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Member Posts: 2,408

    I just use a little extra detergent and wash my uniforms separately from everything else. Never had any problems.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,845

    Commercial laundries can use phosphate detergent and and use much hotter water than a home washer.

    BrassFinger
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,176

    Tide!

    SuperTech
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 9,312

    My mother added Pine Jelly, My wife added Pine-sol, to the laundry detergent and used hot water for the wash cycle.

    I guess the Irish Gal's like the smell of Pine!

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?