How to Get Gasoline Out of Leather: For Shoes, Gloves and Other Items
It’s not an uncommon scenario to accidentally spill some gasoline on your leather shoes, gloves, jacket, purse, bag and even car upholstery, when pumping gas at the station.
In fact, many of you have written in, asking us if we have a guide on how to get gasoline stains and smells out of leather. That inspired us to create this guide and if that sounds like something you’re trying to achieve, then you should definitely read on.
First and foremost, it’s important to remove any petrol or gasoline stains from leather as soon as you can. This is because leather is an extremely porous material that absorbs other substances and smells extremely fast – especially gasoline!
Therefore, you shouldn’t give it any time to set; instead remove it as soon as you can. We’ve created a quick guide for getting gasoline stains and smells from your leather products.
Guide Overview:
- Removing Gasoline from Leather Shoes
- Removing Gasoline from Leather Gloves
- Removing Gasoline from Leather Upholstery
- Removing Gasoline from Other Leather Products
- Removing the Smell of Gasoline from Leather
Remember to act fast. Don’t give any aggressive substance like gasoline the chance to set, as it will make the removal process much harder. Leaving it untreated should also not be an option, due to discoloration and odor. Before you start, check this important notice below.
Important Tip: When removing gasoline from leather, avoid using abrasive materials and aggressive chemicals, as they can leave your products permanently damaged.
How to Get Gasoline Out of Leather Shoes
By far the most common scenario is when you’re done pumping gas into your car and the fuel nozzle drips gasoline on your leather shoes, when you remove it from the gas tank.
Unfortunately, this happens every so often and can leave your leather shoes stained with gasoline. The problem with this is that leather shoes are prone to absorb the stain, as well as the smell of gasoline relatively quickly.
While your most immediate thoughts may be to use water and a cloth to quickly rub the stain out, it’s definitely not what you want to do! Instead, apply the techniques mentioned below.
In order to get gasoline out of leather shoes, you should either use a leather cleaner or homemade solutions, such as baking soda, rubbing alcohol or vinegar. Don’t use any other alcohol-based cleaners, as they can damage your leather.
Take your leather shoes and use the following:
- Leather Cleaner for Leather Shoes: Apply a dedicated leather cleaning product on your leather shoes and let them dry naturally overnight. Ensure to follow the recommended instructions. You can also try a small application of rubbing alcohol if required.
- Baking Soda on Leather Shoes: Sprinkle some baking soda only on the gasoline spots on your leather shoes and leave it overnight. It should extract some of the gasoline out and turn yellowish. Repeat until there is no more yellowish appearance on the baking soda.
- Vinegar on Leather Shoes: To remove gasoline from leather using vinegar, mix white vinegar with water (in a 1:15 ratio) and lightly dip it on the areas affected with gasoline by using a sponge. Repeat if required and let it dry overnight.
How to Get Gasoline Out of Leather Gloves
It’s also common that some gasoline gets onto your leather gloves, especially during cold winters at the gas station. This usually happens when incorrectly operating a fuel pump or when the fuel pump nozzle is faulty.
Fret not, because there are various ways to remove gasoline from your leather gloves. Don’t rush to get a cloth and rub it off with water, as you’ll most likely make the situation worse. Instead, try the remedies below, which are similar to the ones that are effective on leather shoes.
Use the following for your leather gloves:
- Leather Cleaner for Leather Gloves: Use your preferred leather cleaning agent (ensure it has only natural ingredients) and apply this to the gasoline-affected area. You can also give rubbing alcohol a try if that doesn’t work.
- Baking Soda on Leather Gloves: Baking soda works well with leather shoes. Sprinkle a small amount and leave it overnight. You should see it turn yellow, as it extracts the gasoline. Repeat if required until the gasoline is removed.
- Vinegar on Leather Gloves: Removing gasoline from leather gloves can also be done with a vinegar and water mix. Ensure that you use a 1:15 ratio and lightly dab it across your leather gloves. Rinse and repeat until you see results.
We also have a comprehensive guide on cleaning leather gloves. Feel free to use any of the methods and techniques mentioned in that guide.
How to Get Gasoline Out of Leather Upholstery
While rare, there are occasions where you accidentally drip some gasoline onto the leather upholstery of your car. If that happens, we suggest that you clean the spot as soon as you can.
Don’t give gasoline time to set. To get gasoline out of leather upholstery, we don’t recommend any of the homemade remedies, as they are hard to apply inside your car and you’re also not able to ventilate it effectively.
Now, the good news is that leather car seats are usually coated with a protective layer that minimizes its absorption rate. However you should still remove any gasoline spills as soon as you can.
Try the following for leather upholstery:
- Leather Cleaner for Leather Upholstery: Try any of the dedicated leather upholstery cleaners. They usually come in a creamy texture or in wipes. Make sure to apply them as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Use a Professional Cleaning Service: We don’t recommend any type of solutions that may discolor your leather upholstery, as replacing them is extremely expensive. Instead, seek help from a professional car cleaner, who is experienced in removing leather upholstery stains.
How to Get Gasoline Out of Other Leather Products
In order to get gasoline out of other types of leather products, you may apply the same techniques and methods that were mentioned for leather shoes and gloves. However, if your products are of high significance or value to you, we highly recommend that you send them to a professional cleaning service.
These companies are experienced in removing any type of stain on any type of material and also have the right cleaning equipment to do so. Just mention that you have a gasoline stain that needs to be removed.
Before you do so, feel free to try a dedicated leather cleaner, white vinegar mix, baking soda or rubbing alcohol first. Just make sure to apply them lightly and not excessively.
How to Get Gasoline Smell Out of Leather
Getting gasoline smell out of leather can be fairly tricky, as it penetrates the porous material and sets over time. Gasoline smells can last for days and even weeks if left untreated.
In essence, the more porous and untreated your leather is, the longer the gasoline smell tends to stay and the harder it is to remove. But there is little to worry, as you’ll definitely be able to do so.
Removing Gasoline Smell with Leather Cleaners
The best method to get the smell of gasoline out of leather is to use a leather cleaning product with odor neutralizing properties such as the Griot’s Garage Odor Neutralizing Leather Cleaner – but anything similar should work well.
Removing Gasoline Smell with Homemade Solutions
You’re already going to remove the smell of gasoline from leather, when you’re removing the stain itself. However, if the smells still persist, you can try the following options.
Place your leather item inside a large bag or box that is filled with odor absorbing materials. Here are some ideas of what you can use to remove the smell of gasoline from leather:
- Baking soda
- Cornstarch
- Tea bags
- Bamboo Charcoal
- Silica Gel
- Other Desiccants
These materials are designed to absorb moisture and odor. Therefore, place them along with your leather item into a bag or box and let it sit overnight. This should get rid of the gasoline smell. If the smell persists, simply repeat this process.
About Gerrit
Co-Founder, Researcher & Writer At Leatherskill
I’m a leather enthusiast who spends most of his free time crafting, researching, and writing about the many facets of this versatile material. Thanks for reading!