Off topic: Removing Gear Oil Smell?!

[Hotwatermusic]

Hello all, I don't know if this is the right forum, but I need some help. I accidently washed a rag I used to clean up some Swepco trans oil with a bunch of other clothes, and now EVERYTHING smells like gear oil. You know the smell. It's in my shirts, socks, pants, the whole load. Is there any prescribed method to removing that smell from clothes? Thanks!

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by Hotwatermusic

Hello all, I don't know if this is the right forum, but I need some help. I accidently washed a rag I used to clean up some Swepco trans oil with a bunch of other clothes, and now EVERYTHING smells like gear oil. You know the smell. It's in my shirts, socks, pants, the whole load. Is there any prescribed method to removing that smell from clothes? Thanks!

Yeah, but you won't like the options.

1.) Dry clean everything. The solvent will remove the very small amount of gear oil you spread around to all the other clothes.

2.) Wash everything over again, but in hot water for both wash and rinse, and use double detergent if you can. You can rinse again after, but if you want the smell gone, you have to remove every little bit of the oil.

Neither way is perfect, but dry cleaning will do the trick.

[chrisbruck]

Gear oil smells NICE! You will get used to it and then not even notice anymore!

[1990C4S]

Ewwww. Nasty.

Pinesol. Then wash again. Then add softener. Then hang outside for a week,

[911s55]

Above suggestions are good, hot water wash and dry cleaning. I would wash them again at least once more before dry cleaning with a good degreaser detergent, Wisk is pretty stout or Castrol degreaser or Simple Green. Don't forget to wipe down the inside of the washer after, that kind of crap has a tendency to migrate after the fact.

David

[Joe Bob]

Wash, dry clean, then throw them away....hate that smell.

[mmari270]

Try washing them with a skunk, they'll smell better

[Flat Six]

Here's what I've done; it's worked reasonably well for me:

1) Soak in bucket of hot water w/Dawn dishwashing detergent
2) Rinse in clear water
3) Soak in bucket of hot water w/Oxy Clean
4) Rinse in clear water
5) Toss them in the washer, launder as usual

HTH

[RWebb]

the smell is from sulphur compounds - I dunno what oxidation state they are in or if it is an S tacked onto a long chain or ring organic molecule.

That might help in finding out what exactly to use. You can always try an acid or H2O2 (may bleach your clothes) like with skunk stink, which is also a lov mo. wt. sulphur containing molecule.

der LubeMeister may have some ideas...

[dave 911]

It's definitely a unique and stubborn odor...I have a few rags in my rag box that have been washed numerous times and still smell - I just threw one of them away last week....

[Guardsred911]

perhaps washing in white vinegar... we use that often in place of bleach and it's pretty good..