diesel and carpets ...

S/H seats from where you got your pump from?

I think it may have been in this newsgroup that cat litter was suggested as a way to help get oil out of a cement or concrete drive. That would probably help get it out of your car, too - even the fabrics may give up at least some of the oil eventually.

Google comes up with some suggestions for

dry-clean oil stain

and

diesel upholstery stain

These look interesting (commercial product) and (a web forum discussion on this same sort of problem).

Halfords etc may have products that could help too - but the 'Listerene' suggestion in the web forum above is intriguing.

I've used 'white spirit' to get tar and grease off the car paintwork - but the fumes from that are worse than from diesel oil, and it may not be good for fabrics.

Many years ago, I remember my mother using eucalyptus oil to clean the 'beach tar' from clothes and picnic things (back in the days when ships freely dumped used oil and gunge into the sea and it wound up as more or less sticky lumps on beaches where kids played). At least it smells nice (but I think it's poisonous too, in large quantities).

With the trouble that you have had lately, I would say that a box of matches would be the best bet !!

Regards Slim

Hi Steve, a very cheap and efficient solution that is really worth a try is the baking soda (aka Bicarbonate of Soda). Doesn't leave any stains. Let me know how it goes! Regards Xserty

drd wrote:

Hi Xserty,

I'm sure it'd work very well but I'd need around 50kg and I've only ever seen it sold in small tubs for baking!

I've stripped the carpets, seats and seat belts out of the car and have covered them in 30kg of cat litter (Fullers earth) which seems to drawing the fuel out ... and the other 20kg I've poured into the rear footwells where most of the fuel seems to have collected ... I reckon another 50kg tomorrow should have most of the smell dealt with ... or I'll get a new car next week ...

cheers

Steve

Xserty wrote:

Well, look on the bright side, at least you shouldn't have any rust problems in the footwell now.

well, the fullers earth seems to have worked wonders on the carpets and seat belts - and I have junked the foam liner (which went under the rear carpet) as it seemed to have soaked up a lot of fuel ... I filled the cavity left by the foam with more cat litter! If the NVH is too bad I'll get another liner from the breakers ...

thanks all

Steve