Knowing how to eliminate the gas smell in the house can come in handy when you least expect it.
Stepping into a home filled with gas smell after a long day at work can be frustrating.
This is worse if you have kids or an asthmatic family member. Eliminating this smell and avoiding future occurrences becomes a priority.
Getting rid of the gas smell in the house is quite simple. The first step is to identify the cause of the smell, which could be a gasoline spillage, exhaust fumes, storage, etcetera.
Once the source of the smell is known, eliminating it becomes easy.
The following techniques will guide you on how to get rid of the gas smell in the house.
Identify The Source Of The Gas Smell
The first step when considering getting rid of the gas smell in the house is finding the source.
People grab an air freshener after perceiving a bad smell at home.
However, spraying a bottle of air freshener won’t freshen your air from the gasoline smell.
It may give you a sweet fragrance for a short period, but the stench of gas will return in no time. Therefore, you need to identify the source of the smell.
In doing this, you can try the following:
- Look around your home for gasoline spillage.
- Check your gas cookers to see if any burner was left on.
- Check your gas cylinder to see if it’s tightly locked.
- Check the garage and sheds.
- Look out for gasoline-contaminated items in the house.
All of these will help you identify the culprit.
How to Get Rid of Gas Smell in House?
Once you have identified the source of the gas smell, the next step is to eliminate it.
The following techniques will guide you on how to get rid of the gas smell in the house.
Eliminating Gas Smell From Spillage
Once gas spillage is identified, it is best to put a thick fabric or paper towels on it to arrest its spread. This is because fabrics easily absorb gasoline.
If this happens on a hard surface, you can clean up using the following steps:
- Place a thick fabric or paper towel on it.
- Mop out the spillage from the floor.
- While mopping, pay attention to cracks and little spaces the gas may have sipped through.
- Clean up the affected area using water and a detergent or dish soap. This takes away the smell.
Removing the smell is quite tasking if the spillage occurs on carpet surfaces or padding.
You may have to get a new one, but if the spill is small, it can be saved using these steps.
- Use a commercial-grade carpet cleaner to remove the smell from the carpet.
- If unsatisfied with the result, you can take your carpet to professional carpet dry cleaners. Although this will cost you a little, it will be less than buying a new one.
Eliminating Gas Smell From Exhaust Fumes
Exhaust fumes are the major culprit for gas smell in homes. Vehicles and machines like lawnmowers release exhaust from combustion when they operate.
The entire house becomes polluted when these fumes enter the home through the windows and doors.
The following steps will help you rid your home of the gas smell from exhaust fumes.
Change the Location of the Exhaust Source or Switch It Off
If the machine causing the exhaust is located near a window or door, it will be wise to relocate it elsewhere.
Also, you should consider switching off the machine if you notice exhaust entering your home.
Close Windows And Doors Near Fumes
Windows and doors provide the pathway through which fumes get into your home.
So, keeping them shut when the machines are working will prevent fumes from entering your home.
However, if your home gets stuffy as a result, creating new windows and sealing up old ones becomes necessary.
Also, you can create an escape path for the exhaust fumes so that they do not move toward your home.
Create Air Circulation
You must remove the smell when the fumes have already gotten inside your home.
This can be done by creating air circulation so the bad gas smells get outside.
You can do this by:
- Opening all the windows and doors in the house for ventilation.
- Switching on a fan near a window so that the exhaust smell is sent out.
- Spraying an air freshener.
You should consider implementing these three processes for air circulation to take place properly.
Clean up Garage and Sheds
The garage and sheds can be the culprit for the gas smell you perceive in your home.
Regularly cleaning the garage to remove gas spills and contaminants is very important.
Although gas spills can be removed immediately, cleaning up every drop of gas as it touches the garage cannot be an everyday routine.
You can clean shelves and motors and remove exposed gasoline.
All containers contaminated with gasoline should be cleaned and dried in the sun. You can clean it with water and detergent.
Since cleaning is not an everyday routine, you can schedule a convenient time to clean up your garage regularly.
Remove Items That Have Been Contaminated With Gasoline
Once an item is contaminated with gasoline, it will ooze the stench in your home. If you find any items soiled with gasoline, take them outside your home immediately.
Some items might just air out and be okay to return to your home. However, thorough scrubbing may be necessary to get rid of the smell in others.
If an item still oozes the gas smell after washing, it might be time to trash it and get a new one.
Conclusion
Getting rid of the gas smell in homes is easy, but regular cleaning can be challenging. The best tip is to identify the major culprit and eliminate it.
For example, if gas spillage often occurs in your garage, you can prevent future occurrences by tightening the lids of gas containers.
