Kerosene is an excellent special product that is used to remove various types of stains. At the same time, kerosene is a product that is produced on the basis of oil; it has an unpleasant and persistent odor, which is problematic to eliminate. If you have a problem eliminating the smell of kerosene from clothes, leather or dishes, you can eliminate them using a couple of simple tips described in this article.
What is kerosene and what are the difficulties in eliminating it?
Kerosene is a flammable substance in the form of a yellowish or almost colorless liquid. It has an oily consistency as it is a petroleum product and is produced by distilling petroleum.
Areas of use of kerosene in everyday life:
- Paint thinner.
- Fuel for lighting and household appliances.
- Removing rust.
- Ethnoscience.
- Preventing head lice.
- Washing mechanisms.
- Strengthening hair strength.
Important! There is no universal way to remove traces and odors from kerosene. You need to first prepare for the fact that all the efforts made may turn out to be useless and the smell will leave the clothes only after a while.
Features of using the product for pediculosis
The flammable liquid, which is kerosene, is a specific product that has a number of features, both positive and negative qualities. Based on this, the use of kerosene against lice requires mandatory precautions.
- Poisons lice and their nits.
- Does not allow it to stay firmly on the hair.
- It repels with its specific smell.
If the instructions are not followed, kerosene can cause serious harm to the skin.
With all its advantages as a good remedy for treating lice, do not forget that if the instructions are not followed, it can cause serious harm to the skin.
To remove lice, only clarified or technical liquid is used, but automotive and aviation liquids are completely unsuitable. Another nuance is also important - how to dilute kerosene to kill lice?
The product is diluted in the proportions specified in a specific recipe; it is most convenient to measure the constituent substances with teaspoons or tablespoons. In some cases, it is recommended to use only kerosene in its pure form, that is, the way it was used in the old days by our great-grandmothers.
In view of this, you cannot increase the duration of hair treatment with any product containing kerosene. The maximum holding time is no more than two hours.
A longer period is dangerous not only due to burns, but also has a very bad effect on the structure of the hair and its thickness.
Useful tips
Before you begin eliminating the smell of kerosene, you need to consider a couple of recommendations:
- Work should be carried out in a well-ventilated place or outdoors.
- Kerosene is hot, so when working with it you need to avoid flammable objects and objects.
- Clothes stained with kerosene should be washed separately.
- Initially, things need to be washed by hand, since kerosene can be absorbed into the rubber parts of the washing machine.
- You need to dry things in a draft.
- You must first test the effect of the cleaning agent on an inconspicuous area.
- When working with cleaning products, you need to take care of your own safety, as they can cause an allergic reaction.
Special cases
Let's look at how to get rid of some characteristic odors that are unpleasant for the person himself and his environment.
Tobacco
The best way to get rid of tobacco smell on clothes is to smoke only outside the apartment, otherwise the smoke will gradually permeate all things. The following remedies will help free things from the spirit of tobacco.
Vacuum cleaner
The smell of tobacco accumulates on dust in clothes. Things are knocked out, covered with a damp cloth and vacuumed at high power.
Tip: It is useful to keep clothes near steam - hang things near a hot shower, over a basin of hot water, then dry them. The smell of tobacco also quickly disappears in the cold.
Coffee
The coffee beans are ground and placed in a fabric bag. The smelly items are loosely placed in plastic bags for several hours, with coffee sachets placed between them. Outerwear is dried near the radiator, on which a bowl of ground coffee is placed.
Citrus peels
The peels, packed in fabric bags, are placed directly with the items in the drum. The same bags are placed in clothing closets so that the smell of freshness permeates the clothes.
New things
If airing does not get rid of the smell of dyes or synthetic fabrics from new things, ammonia will help. Take 1-2 tablespoons of ammonia per liter of cold water and soak the new item for an hour, then wash it in the recommended mode.
Pets
Special sprays help get rid of the smell of cats, dogs, birds and other pets on clothes. A home remedy is to soak the item in a vinegar solution (2 tablespoons per liter of water).
Rotten aroma
The smell of rotten meat can be easily removed using citrus fruits. Squeeze lemon juice (dissolve citric acid) and add to water when washing, soaking or rinsing. Let us remind you that the product has a whitening effect.
Sweat
The smell of sweat ingrained into clothes sometimes remains even after washing in an automatic machine. Often the item cannot be washed, and the sweaty smell needs to be gotten rid of.
Oxygen stain removers
Oxygen bleaches dissolve all contaminants in fabrics, so they can also eliminate odors. Use only on items that can be bleached.
Laundry soap
72% laundry soap kills most bacteria and helps get rid of fatty particles. Rub soap onto dirty areas, leave for 5-10 minutes, wash the item and rinse well.
Dish soap or hair shampoo
Sweat contains fatty particles, so dishwashing detergents and shampoo dissolve them well. Contaminated areas are moistened, left for an hour, then washed.
Cold environment
If you don’t have time to tinker with clothes, you can take things out into the extreme cold or place them in the freezer for several hours. The smell of sweat will die along with the bacteria.
Vinegar essence
The essence is diluted to a concentration of 6-9% (table vinegar). Place it in a spray bottle and spray individual areas or the entire item. Allow to dry well and ventilate.
Fish
To remove fishy smell, soak clothes in solutions:
- laundry soap;
- vinegar;
- light - in bleach;
- shampoo, dish soap.
After washing, items are rinsed in cold water.
Traces of gasoline or diesel fuel are first removed with a stain remover. Then they fight the smell by soaking the clothes in a solution of ammonia, soda, lemon juice, laundry soap or hydrogen peroxide.
How to eliminate the smell of kerosene?
Method 1
The simplest and most economical option is to air your clothes in the fresh air. At the same time, this process will be long-term, since the duration of weathering depends on the fabric and how long ago the kerosene got on it. In general, the smell of kerosene can go away from a couple of days to 2-3 weeks.
Method 2
- Take a basin and fill it with cold water.
- Add 100 ml of dishwashing liquid (without dyes) to the container.
- Immerse the clothes in the basin.
- Wait 2-3 hours.
- Take things out and wring them out.
- Wash by hand, adding washing powder and a tablespoon of soda to warm water.
Method 3
Using chlorine bleach:
- Add the special agent to cool water and stir.
- Immerse washed items in liquid.
- Wait 5-7 minutes.
- Rinse under running water.
Method 4
- Wash items by hand 2-3 times with the addition of washing powder.
- Rinse in warm water.
- Add fabric softener to the water and rinse again.
Home methods
There are many ways by which you can remove a kerosene stain. They are also used in case of contamination from gasoline or diesel fuel.
To prepare the first recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Eucalyptus oil;
- baking soda;
- white vinegar.
The contaminated area should be lubricated with soda, then washed by hand and put into the machine, not forgetting to add powder. At the end of the first wash cycle, add 2 cups of white vinegar and rinse the clothes in it twice. After this, you need to leave the item in the solution for a couple of hours. Next, rinse again.
The stain can also be removed using a mixture of dishwashing powder and baking soda. These components perfectly eliminate unpleasant odors. It is necessary to clean the material until the desired result is achieved.
In every home there is alcohol, which destroys the carbon bonds in kerosene and makes it easier to remove stains. Previously, this was an indispensable tool for removing contaminants, now there are many other methods, but alcohol can also be used if there is nothing else at hand. You need to mix it with water in a ratio of 1:6, and place the item in this solution for an hour.
Not only alcohol, but also ammonia can break carbon bonds in kerosene. Ammonia should be mixed with water, maintaining a ratio of 1:10. This ratio will allow you to dilute the toxic substance well and preserve the material. The product is placed in the solution for at least an hour, and then washed in a machine with the addition of high-quality powder and conditioner.
To eliminate the hated odor, you can use a mouth rinse. As a rule, the liquid smells like mint, which quickly copes with bad breath and unwanted aroma from fabric products.
How to eliminate the smell of kerosene from containers?
If the container used for storing kerosene is too bad to throw away, and the unpleasant smell prevents you from reusing the item, then you need to start eliminating it. This can be done using one of the methods described below.
Method 1
- Mix water and quicklime in a 3:1 ratio.
- Stir.
- Pour the solution into a container to be cleaned.
- Shake and wait a bit.
- Drain the solution and fill with new one.
- Wait 2-3 hours.
- Pour out the liquid and rinse the container.
Important! You can speed up the odor elimination process by adding coarse sand to the liquid.
Method 2
- Dissolve mustard powder in hot water.
- Pour the liquid into a container.
- Shake several times for 30 minutes.
- Wait 40 minutes.
- Pour out the liquid.
- Rinse with warm and then cold water.
Removing the oil base
If this type of fuel comes into contact with clothing, precautions must be taken to remove the odor and the flammable substance itself. If the material has been thoroughly saturated, removing the stain may be problematic. Kerosene vapors can be harmful to health. If you accidentally spill it on your hands, you need to wash the oil off as quickly as possible. If you inhale kerosene vapor for a long time, problems with the pulmonary artery may occur.
This type of fuel is found in the form of a clear liquid or yellowish oil, in the latter case it will be more difficult to remove the stain. To eliminate the oily product, you will have to be patient. To prepare this proven recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- sodium salt of boric acid;
- detergent (dishwashing composition);
- makeup remover;
- any shampoo for oily hair.
The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions, their volume depends on the amount of fuel spilled on the item. It is necessary to treat the problem area and wait a little. Next, the product is washed by hand. You can take a clothes brush, but you need to understand that after such manipulations it will no longer be suitable. When the stain disappears, you need to wash the clothes in the machine. Such a thing cannot be dried, because kerosene can ignite.
After washing, you should ventilate the area where the stain was. If the aroma has not completely disappeared, you can try some other product or wash the clothes again.
Removing the smell of kerosene from hair
Kerosene is an excellent remedy for the prevention of head lice, which leaves behind an unpleasant odor. It is possible to eliminate it, but it is not so easy. Procedure:
- Wash your hair 2-3 times with shampoo in warm water.
- You can improve the effect by adding essential oil (3-5 drops) to the water.
- For oily hair, you can use a mustard powder mask. Just apply it to your hair and wait 2-3 minutes, then rinse and treat your hair with a special balm.
Important! If the weather outside is humid, a slight unpleasant aroma may continue to be felt. Don't worry, because after a while it will disappear on its own.
Characteristics of the substance
Russia has developed a clear system of standards that determine the basic properties of all materials and substances. Kerosene for lighting is no exception. GOST 11128-65 and GOST 4753-68 set the basic parameters that a given flammable liquid must comply with.
If kerosene is used for lighting, it is important to consider the dead flame height, sulfur content, flash point and cloud point. The latter indicator characterizes the ability of a hydrocarbon to burn at low temperatures. In addition, kerosene for lamps must contain the maximum possible amount of light fractions (that is, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons).
How to remove the smell of kerosene from the floor?
The easiest way to eliminate the unpleasant smell of flammable petroleum products is to use wood sawdust:
- Pour sawdust into a bowl of water.
- Take out the wood sawdust soaked in water and spread it over the floor surface.
- Wait 2-3 hours.
- Sweep away the sawdust with a broom.
- Wash the floor with water and washing powder.
- Repeat if the smell remains partially.
You can also use special products in the form of aerosols, which are sold in special automotive stores. Before using the product, you must read the instructions. Procedure:
- Shake the can.
- Spray the product over the problem area of the floor.
- Rub.
- Eliminate by washing the floor with soapy water.
Fabric softener
If the situation is not too aggravated, then regular fabric softener will help. We pour it into the compartments for rinse aid and washing powder. Then we select a program in which you can combine the maximum time with the average temperature. Thus, the inner surface of the machine is washed with scented water twice - during washing and during rinsing.
