Treating the Clothes Before Washing Them
Hose down clothes saturated with gasoline. Take your clothing outside and hose it down. Try to rinse out as much gasoline as possible. This is especially important for clothing that's very saturated in gasoline, as it can be a hazard to wash gasoline-soaked clothing in a washing machine. If you don't have a hose, you can rinse clothing under a faucet.
Air-dry the clothes for 24 hours. Find a place to hang the clothes up outside, such as a balcony or clothesline. Hang the clothing on the line and let it air outdoors for 24 hours. Check the forecast. If it's going to rain, wait until the weather clears up to treat your clothing. If you absolutely cannot hang the clothing outdoors, a well-ventilated room in your home should do the trick. Hang the clothes there until they're dry.
Pre-wash the clothes with mechanic's hand soap. Before throwing your clothing in a washing machine, pick up some mechanic's hand soap at a hardware or department store. Use this to lather any particularly oily or greasy spots before throwing your clothes in the washer. Look for mechanic's soap that has lanolin listed on the ingredients label for the best results.
Washing the Clothes
Wash the clothes alone. Do not put any other clothing in the washing machine with gasoline-soaked clothing. This could cause other clothing to absorb the smell of gasoline or become stained.
Use the highest heat setting. Look at your clothes' manufacturer's label. To best treat the smell of gasoline, you should use the highest heat setting the clothes can tolerate. If you're unsure how high of a heat setting your clothes can tolerate, search the fabric type online and look at washing guidelines.
Add ammonia and extra detergent. You can purchase ammonia at most supermarkets and hardware stores. Add a quarter cup of ammonia and a little extra detergent to the laundry. This should help wash out the gasoline smell. Alternatively, you can add 1 cup (240 mL) of vinegar to the wash. Vinegar is an excellent deodorizer.
Hang your clothing to dry. Do not place your clothing in the dryer after washing it. Instead, hang your clothing to dry outside or on a drying rack. It's very dangerous to put clothing that's been soaked with gasoline in the dryer, as gasoline is combustible.
Removing Set-In Stains
Neutralize the stains and smells with coffee grounds or baking powder. If there are stains on your clothing, they may harbor a smell. Before attempting to wash out the stains, sprinkle baking powder or coffee grounds on the stains. This will help neutralize the odor. Let the coffee grounds or baking soda sit on the stain for a few hours before brushing them off and washing the stain.
Remove stains with dishwashing detergent. Liquid dishwashing detergent that's made to target grease can help remove gasoline stains. Gently rub the detergent into the stains until they lift. Then, rinse the garment and wash it in the washing machine as usual. Remember you should always hang-dry clothing that came into contact with gasoline.
Try baby oil. Baby oil can also help lift gasoline stains. You can pour baby oil directly on the stains and rub the stains out. You can also toss rags soaked with baby oil into the washing machine with your gasoline-stained clothes.
Send your clothes to a dry cleaner. Unfortunately, sometimes the gasoline smell remains on your clothes despite your best efforts. While this can be frustrating, professional services can help. If you can't get stains or smell out of your clothes at home, contact a local dry cleaner. You can find dry cleaners online. If your clothing has been very stained or damaged by gasoline, professional dry cleaning services may help treat your clothes.
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