# Remove Diesel Smell



## capsss (Jul 4, 2012)

Anyone know a good way to get rid of diesel smell? Diesel's been in the bilge for quite a while. Everything has smell of diesel; cushions, clothes, woodwork, canvas, etc.
thanks for any and all help


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## jsaronson (Dec 13, 2011)

lay the cushions and canvas in the sun. Febreeze.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Did you fix the leak? Look for a heating and AC supplier in your area if they sell supplies to the fuel oil trades people they would have a spray that will kill the smell.


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

Odor eliminator PureAyre eliminates cat, pet, smoke, skunk, cigars, gasoline, cooking and musty odors.


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## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

PurAyre does a decent job. I think it and KidsNPets and Febreeze work similarly, using enzymes to break down molecules.

As you've noticed the smell gets in everything. Which means you need to get the smell _out _of everything. But go for the source first. Eliminate any diesel leaks, maybe even replace really old diesel fuel lines if they smell. Then clean the bilge really well. I like the citrus type bilge cleaners. Then go after your surfaces and finally all the soft stuff.

BTW, to finally eliminate the odor in our boat, I had to soak wash all the cushion foam and then soak the foam in an odor eliminator solution (KidsNPets was my choice at the time) and dry them out. Foam holds a whole lot of smell in those millions of pockets and just washing the covers won't do it.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

Calgone water softener works.


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## badsanta (Oct 16, 2006)

I took all my cushions to my local carpet and furniture cleaner. He cleaned them twice and let them dry out. So much nicer now


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## sck5 (Aug 20, 2007)

first get the diesel out of the bilge


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## Freerider (May 1, 2008)

1- Remove the diesel from the bilge.
2- Get a bag of quick dry oil absorb or if you can't find any use kitty litter and empty the whole thing into the bilge and where ever the diesel was.
3- Let that sit for at least a day, then remove it.
4- Scrub the entire area with pure bleach.

I've dealt with many oil spills in customers basements and this seems to work the best.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Everything is a waste of time and money until you remove the diesel which has soaked in, and afterwards seal any porous surfaces which may still contain diesel.

In between? Heat, sunlight, ozone, ventilation all help drive it out, but it also takes TIME because you're trying to get some very 'sticky' molecules out of materials they have had a good time bonding with. And of course a good scrubbing with something that can remove oils (like Liquid Tide detergent) to make sure it is all cleaned off the surfaces, before you reseal them.


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