WHAT HAVE I DONE!?!?!

[Anonymous]

I need a suggestion on getting the gas smell out of my basement.

I was pulling the carbs on my 77 GS550 to clean them after a long long long sit. After getting them off I bring them to my basement (100 y/o house + inner city living = no garage or driveway). Not a drop of old gas spilled when I took it off, or when I c arried it or set it down. But I adjusted the way they were sitting and all of a sudden i get old nasty gas splashing everywhere..... It smells bad...

Anyways. Whats the best way to clean up a gas spill?

Side note, what do you do with old gas?

[hoyterb]

Get a box of Arm&Hammer baking soda and put it on the gas spill.Let it sit for a few minutes and clean it off.Put on some more and let it sit for a few hours.You can dispose of the old gas at any place that takes waste oil.

[Anonymous]

EXPLOSION

Word to the wise

Gas fumes are heavier than air.

Gas fumes can build up in the basement - find a hot water heater pilot light or be ignited by a light switch spark

and BOOM. I once worked with a guy from Thailand or Laos and they would usually use gas as a cleaning solvent. Well, he was cleaning in his house with gas, fumes went down the basement, and BOOM. He died a day or so later.

DO NOT USE GAS IN THE HOUSE. Dump your carbs out - outside. Remove the bowls and drain....then air them out....then when evaporated - move them inside. Remember again, if you open a window in the basement, gas is still heavier than air and will want to stay in the basement - not waft outside.

[Jethro]

There is only two things I have found that remove gas fumes. Time and oxygen. That baking soda method should work awesome. After doing that, get a fan, open the basement door (hopefully you have a walkout?) and let it sit.

Turning off the oil burner is a darn good idea.

[Anonymous]

Use ozone

Ozone is an unstable O3 molocule that attacks organic chemicals in the air and on surface. Find a supplier of Ozone in Can, similar to a can of spray paint and use it in the confined area. Stink in cars can be cured by closing the windows on a warm day and spraying the can till empty in the car and closing it up for a couple of hours. Then, let it air out open for a couple of hours.
You can get an ozone machine too for homes. Kills all odors, gas, natural and bean type, burnt toast, fish and coffee brewing. Also, it removes perfume from your face.

[argonsagas]

The baking soda is a good preliminary step. If applied when wet, it allows you to pick up the liquid safely, and at other times helps to cut down odours.

Try a readily available product that is intended for cutting smells: Febreze.

There are also other, similar, products that will do the job.


Note that gasoline has a strong habit of getting right into anything it touches, (like concrete) and the vapours then leach outwards over days, so you have to treat the surface, not just spray the air.

[Anonymous]

gas smell

Bakind soda does work! Fabreeze helps, it is very good.

I have found that the new "industrial strength" orange cleaners really help fast. (Actually last night I spilled some kerosene in my garage. The orange stuff had it smelling fine in about a half an hour.)

Mike