Dear Cleaning Lady,
My husband is a heavy equipment operator. He comes home everyday covered in diesel and asphalt. Every inch of his pants are covered. I add oil eater to the load, but everything stains and still has that asphalt/diesel smell. What should I do?
Thanks,
Susan
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Hi Susan,
I have heard the only thing that removes this odor is Orange Glo or Citra Solv (I use this) or other orange derivative products. My Citra Solv tells you to add a bit to your wash for a cleaning boost, but I would soak the clothing in a mixture of this and water for a while, even overnight. I would also give those oxydol type cleaners a try.
-CL
08.16.08 @ 9:07 am
I have worked with oil and the thing that has worked for me has been good ol’ PineSol (the original). My husband is a detailer/mechanic which also comes home with his pants full of grease, oil, and what not from his job. I have used the PineSol on his clothes and it has worked. Maybe a pre-soak would be good as well.
08.16.08 @ 1:17 pm
Another product to try, if you can find it available in your local grocer, is Soilove. It is made by America’s Finest Products Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. I used to work in a laundry in Las Vegas and we went through a case of this each month on simple things, but at home I would go through a couple of bottles also on things that my family would get into. My husband is a shade tree mechanic and gets into some grease that way that he would not usually get into in his 8-5 job and kids are kids that normally just get dirty. This product is GREAT! Just a little hard to come by in my new area. If you can find it, put a spray bottle replacement in the top and use it on all kinds of stains. It works! I use it to soak things too and when I visit friends back in Vegas, I invest in 20 bottles to hold me over until my next visit, I like it that much. Good Luck! Cindy
08.17.08 @ 12:01 am
Use Carbona for grease stains then Gain to get rid of the smell - my husband worked on a fish boat for years & the ony thing that got rid ofthe smaell ws Gain Laundry Detergent
08.17.08 @ 1:20 pm
Hi, something I found that takes out grease, oil and gasoline is Dawn dish detergent, you don’t want to put it in your washing machine, but soak the clothes in a tub of scalding hot water and dish soap until the water cools enough to take the clothes out, wash them with regular detergent and baking soda on hot with a cold rinse……….it should work!! Good luck.
08.18.08 @ 12:00 pm
use Vinegar — it works wonders.
08.18.08 @ 12:00 pm
Try Vinegar — it works wonders.
08.18.08 @ 1:51 pm
My brother was an auto mechanic for years and he used the “hand goo” that Mechanics use to get their hands clean. He just rubbed that into the stains and threw them in the washer! It worked great!
08.18.08 @ 5:48 pm
As far as the grease on your husband’s clothes use some Dawn dishwashing detergent on it. I promise it will work.
08.18.08 @ 7:43 pm
Dear Cleaning Lady:
My puppy got sick and had diarrhoea on the floor of her crate! I have tried to clean it up with pinesol, bleach, vineagar, febreeze and baking soda. What will take the smell out of the floor?!?!!
08.19.08 @ 12:10 pm
In july, there was a video sent in by a young couple showing how to make things from old sweaters. Does anyone know their web site or how I can get info on how to use old sweaters?
08.19.08 @ 3:18 pm
If your puppy has an accident, try HY-CO products. They have products for any accidents, even markers, oil, urine,red dye, punch, you name it. They will ask you what youyr problem is, and they will give you a product that will counteract the enzymes. Good luck
08.23.08 @ 4:51 pm
I have heard once you talked in your show about a product that is used to protect the furniture (sofas, chairs, carpets, etc.) against stains of foods or liquids. Can you give details on this product and how I can get it. Thanks
08.24.08 @ 1:24 am
Great Advice
08.24.08 @ 3:35 pm
I use a can of coke in the washer to get stains out of my husband and kids clothes. It works great. It can be any kind of coke, but the high test works the best. Not the good stuff the generic stuff works the best.
08.26.08 @ 3:48 pm
WHAT - a can of coke!!! That sounds easy and accessable from NZ. I heard Police have it in the boot of their car for blood stains on roads at accident scenes. I got a bit lost when you are talking about ‘high test and generic stuff’ Guess you just add a can of elcheepo coke to the washing machine. Sweet on the clothes too I spose….
08.26.08 @ 5:42 pm
Having lived in an oiltown, the cleaner of choice here, is stuff called spray nine, it works on oil, grease, dog mess, floors, ect, doesn’t smell much either. great stuff
08.26.08 @ 9:55 pm
My beau works drilling natural gas, and comes home with desiel, acid, and oil on him all the time. I simply wash his coveralls with hot water, soap, and white distilled vinegar. All of his buddies have come to me and asked me what I do to keep them so clean! They all do it now!
08.26.08 @ 11:35 pm
On a recent show, it was shown how to “break in” your new shoes, so that they would not hurt your feet.
Does anyone remember what was used and how it was used?
08.27.08 @ 6:52 am
I used to work in a polymer compound factory, (we made different types of rubber for the automotive and electrical industry) I would LITERALLY come home COVERED head to toe sometimes in oil and carbon black.
My laundry detergent would not take out the smell and my bodywash would not take the oil off my body! Water/soap would run right off me as if I used rain x on my body and hair! Only thing that worked was Dawn Oxy! I showered with it and soaked my clothes in it before I washed them.
09.13.08 @ 6:16 pm
I have a husband that ia a painter. Well to say the least his clothes get washed all by themselves. I never understood why painters wear white but that is another blog alltogether. But as a painter he comes home with the smell of paint, paint thinner, kerosene, that oil base paint, the special paint for boilers, there is such a smell in his clothes it was unbearable then i found distilled viniger!!! It is now my best friend!!! I use it in EVERY load, not just his anymore, it gets rid of all the smells, all that my husbands STUFF, mildew on wet towels or baithing suits, the dog, cat, grass, yes,grass smells to me. but it gets rid of them all. And lets the Downty shine through. LOL
09.14.08 @ 11:43 pm
For the puppy crate, if you place charcoal in it for a few days & seal it or throw something over it, the smell should absorb into the charcoal. I’v used this many times, fwhen my freezer went out while we were on vacation to the animal that died in the porch wall. Any odor will be expunged! Just give it time.
09.19.08 @ 2:29 pm
MY HUSBAND AND SON COME HOME ALL THE TIME WITH OIL, GREASE, GRASS STAINS AND ANY STAINS THAT WILL STICK TO THEIR CLOTHES. MY MOM HAS ALWAYS USED DAWN DISH DETERGANT ON OUR CLTHES AS WE WERE GROWING UP. WHEN I HAD A CHILD I STARTED USING AND IT REALLY WORKS AND NOT JUST ON DISHES. TRY IT AND YOU WILL SEE THE WORLD OF DEFFERENCE.
TAMMY
10.29.08 @ 11:27 am
My dog and cat both have picked their own spots on my carpet for “potty” place!!! I have used carpet cleaners, both sprays and for my carpet cleaner, that is supposed to rid the stains and smells, it didn’t work. I’ve used vinegar, baking soda, among other things. Is there something you can reccomend, and is there something I can put on my carpet that will detour them from pottying on my carpets?