Nifty Ways to Get Rid of the Gasoline Smell On Your Hands

As a car owner, you’ll often have to get your hands dirty to keep your daily driver running as it should. You’ll have to do tasks like wiping off grease, lubricating parts, and even topping up on fuel. Depending on what you’re working on, the pungent smell from products like gasoline can stick to you, and it can be tricky to get rid of. Read on to learn how to get the gasoline smell off your hands.

What Exactly Is that Gasoline Smell?

Some people like the smell of gasoline, while others find it nauseating. But what exactly is that gasoline smell, and what chemical is creating that strong odor?

Gasoline consists of several additives and chemicals, including de-icers, anti-rust agents, lubricants, and hydrocarbons like butane, pentane, and isopentane. It also has the BTEX compounds, namely benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene.

Among all of these compounds, benzene is responsible for that gasoline smell.

Benzene increases the octane levels of the gasoline mixture, which helps improve engine performance and fuel economy. It’s a carcinogen, which means it’s dangerous for your health when inhaled in high concentrations. So if you find the smell of gasoline intoxicating, you might want to stay away from inhaling it too much.

9 Ways to Remove the Smell of Gas from Your Hands

Gasoline exudes a scent that can be hard to get rid of no matter how many times you wash your hands. Fortunately, there are a couple of nifty tricks you can try that have been proven to be effective in resolving this issue.

Wash Your Hands with Homemade Pumice Soap

Pumice soap, commonly known as mechanic soap, is an exfoliant that’s primarily made from powdered pumice mixed with a grease cutter to remove oil residue from the skin. Pumice is generally used for removing dead skin because of its rough texture.

You’ll find a lot of mechanic soap variants in the market, but if you’re someone who likes DIY projects, you can make your own pumice soap at home. You just need to mix a few ingredients, such as soap base, ground pumice stone, and a grease cutter (e.g. orange oil) of your choice.

Use Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol can neutralize strong odors and remove grease and dirt from the skin. If you’re planning to try this option, be sure to use a variant with 80-90% alcohol content. You can use rubbing alcohol as many times as you need or until the gasoline smell goes away.

Rub White Vinegar on Your Hands

A lot of home cleaning videos feature white vinegar because it’s a great deodorizer for carpets and mattresses. White vinegar can do the same for your gas-smelling hands. Simply soak your hands in white vinegar and rub them together for a couple of seconds. Rinse the solution off, then repeat the process if necessary.

Combine Salt and Dish Soap

Your chances of getting rid of that gasoline smell on your hands are slim to none if you’re sticking to using regular soap. Fortunately, there are other household items you can use to deodorize your hands.

Combine salt with dish soap and use that to wash your hands. Similar to baking soda and white vinegar, salt has natural deodorizing properties that work well with dish soap, which has its own set of chemicals that can break down the compounds found in gasoline.

Soak Your Hands in Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is generally used as a disinfectant and bleach, but it’s also a great alternative for a degreaser when trying to get rid of the smell of gasoline. If you’re planning to use this option, make sure to use one part hydrogen peroxide and three parts water. Soaking your hands in hydrogen peroxide for too long can harm your skin.

How To Get Gas Smell Out of Car

If you recently got gasoline on your hands, then there’s a chance you might have gotten some on your vehicle or cabin as well. Getting gasoline smell out of your vehicle’s cabin and interior can be challenging since the gasoline smell is stubborn. It’s also going to make driving quite unpleasant. Luckily, there are easy ways to get rid of the smell without getting your hands dirty.

Ventilate Your Vehicle

As long as gasoline is present in trace amounts, the smell will also be present. Opening your vehicle’s windows and doors and ventilating your vehicle is an easy way to let all the gasoline evaporate and disperse. Try to leave your vehicle under the sun, as the heat will evaporate the gasoline faster. Do this for at least 4 to 5 hours.

Identify Affected Areas and Clean Them

If you’ve spilled gasoline on your carpet or seats, then simply deodorizing the air inside your cabin won’t do the trick. You’ll need to clean the affected areas using the appropriate cleaner for the surface. If you’re cleaning seats or carpets, use an upholstery cleaner of your choice.

Put Coffee Grounds or Charcoal

Coffee grounds and charcoal are natural deodorizers. Get a bowl of charcoal or coffee grounds and leave it in your vehicle. You can leave the bowl for a couple of days. After they’ve absorbed the smell, properly discard the used deodorizers.

Place Baking Soda

Baking soda is also a very good deodorizer. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the affected areas like upholstery and carpets. Let the powder sit for a few hours or overnight so that it absorbs the odor effectively. Clean the baking soda afterwards using a vacuum.