If you work with heavy equipment, you know exactly what diesel fuel smells like. That strong odor often sticks to your clothes. Diesel has a sort of sweet smell, but it’s nothing like perfume. This lingering smell is not just annoying — it can get on your other clothes and even be bad for your health. Keep reading to learn how to get diesel smell out of clothes for good.
Why Does Diesel Smell Last So Long?
The diesel smell is difficult to remove, mainly because of its unique chemical composition. Unlike gasoline, which evaporates quickly, diesel is thicker and oily. It is composed of long-chain hydrocarbons, molecules that do not easily disperse into the air.
When diesel fuel splashes onto clothing, these oily molecules penetrate into the clothing fibers and become firmly attached. Regular laundry practices often only spread the oil on the clothes rather than completely removing it.
As for the particular scent with a hint of “sweetness” in the diesel smell, it comes from aromatic compounds such as benzene. These chemicals are particularly stubborn and can remain in the fibers for long periods of time even if you think your clothes are washed.
How to Remove Diesel Smell from Your Clothes?
Next, we’ll show you the best store-bought products, easy home remedies, and the most important steps for washing diesel-stained clothes.
Recommended Commercial Cleaners
Mechanics, farmers, and technicians all love these products because they cut through grease and get rid of bad smells.
- Dawn Dish Soap: This is the top pick for a good reason. Dawn works great at breaking down oil and grease. It’s perfect for soaking and treating stains before you wash.
- Simple Green: This is a strong, all-purpose cleaner and degreaser. It’s eco-friendly and non-toxic, but it does a great job breaking down diesel and oil. Lots of pros just add a cup of it right into the washing machine.
- Lestoil Heavy Duty Cleaner: This old favorite works really well on thick grease and oil. But it has a strong smell, so you do an extra rinse with vinegar to get rid of it.
- Mechanic’s Hand Cleaners (Non-Pumice): Cleaners like Gojo or Fast Orange are made to remove grease from hands. The versions without rough pumice can be rubbed right onto stained areas of clothes before washing.
Budget-Friendly Household Remedies
You don’t always need to buy a specialty product. Some of the most effective solutions might already be in your kitchen or garage.
Baking Soda and Vinegar: This classic combination works wonders. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer that absorbs oils, while the acetic acid in vinegar breaks them down.
- Lay the clothes flat and generously sprinkle baking soda over the affected areas.
- Let it sit for at least an hour to absorb the diesel.
- Place the clothes in the washing machine. Add your detergent, and then pour one to two cups of white vinegar into the drum. Wash as usual.
Coca-Cola: It sounds strange, but it works. The phosphoric acid in Coke is an excellent degreaser and can neutralize odors.
- Place the smelly clothes in a bucket or tub.
- Pour a two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola and a box of baking soda over them.
- Add enough water to submerge the clothes completely.
- Let them soak for 12 to 24 hours. The long soak is key.
- Wring them out and wash them in a normal cycle.
Mouthwash: Firefighters have long used this trick to get the intense smell of smoke out of their gear. It works for diesel, too. The alcohol and antiseptic ingredients help break down odor-causing compounds. Add one cup of an alcohol-based mouthwash (like Listerine) to your wash cycle along with your regular detergent.
The Right Way to Wash and Dry
If you want to completely get diesel stains and smell out, follow these steps:
- Keep them separate: Don’t toss diesel-stained clothes in with your regular laundry. Put them in a sealed bag or a separate bucket so they don’t mess up other clothes.
- Pre-soak: Use a bucket or sink with hot water and some cleaner. You can use Dawn, Simple Green, or a homemade mix. If the smell is light, soak for a few hours. If it’s strong, leave them overnight.
- Wash properly: Don’t wash too many at once—clothes need space to move around in the washer. Use cold water. You might need to run the wash twice.
- Air dry in the sun: Never put clothes that still smell like diesel in the dryer. Heat can lock in the odor. Hang them outside—sunlight naturally helps remove the smell, and UV rays break down the leftover odor. Once dry, give them a sniff. If you still smell it, wash again.
- Clean your washer: After washing a lot of diesel-stained clothes, run an empty cycle with hot water and 2 cups of vinegar. This cleans out any leftover oil in the drum.
How To Get Diesel Stain Out Of Clothes?
Often, if you smell diesel, there’s probably a stain too. The good news is the same cleaners that get rid of the smell also help with stains.
For tough spots, put some Dawn, Simple Green, or a non-pumice hand cleaner like Fast Orange right on the stain. Let it sit for at least an hour before soaking and washing. A few important rules when dealing with diesel stains:
- Don’t use bleach. It can react with the fuel and make the stain worse.
- Don’t put it in the dryer. Heat will make the stain stick forever.
- Don’t wash it with clean clothes. Keep stained items separate.
Wrapping Up
Next time your clothes smell like diesel, don’t worry—you probably already have what you need at home to deal with it. By now, you should know how to get rid of that diesel smell for good.
We’ve tested these methods ourselves, and they work. And if you need replacement parts for your equipment, check out FridayParts.com. We offer good-quality parts at fair prices, so you won’t go over budget and your machines keep running smoothly.
