How to successfully remove gasoline from clothes

This is my first blog on this site. I do have a few posted on myspace, feel free to check them out. I'd like to think of myself as a Green Martha Stewart but without the tv show, magazine and ....billions of dollars.

Hemingways...I have to share this story because Gaby my daughter said I had to post it.I have always loved writing and maybe some smart publisher or newspaper will see my blog and hire me on the spot. Yes and I live in a beautiful world called Lynntopia.

So I am teaching my 9 year old and a borrowed 7 year old how to pump gas. Slide the credit card, enter pin, press start..yadda yadda. We got to the part where we are successfully pumping gas into the car with the locking device on the pump. The little one is watching the numbers until it hits $20 and beep beep beep goes the cell phone and Mommy goes off to Lynntopia.

Next thing I know I see Gaby against the pump, with the pump in her hand up in the air with gas pouring out ala "Zoolander" gasoline blow up scene and I am promptly brought back to this reality.

I casually ok maybe wasn't so casually grab the pump, turn it off and replace it to it's proper location. I instruct all children to get into the car, promptly return borrowed child and go home, straight home . Did I tell you I am sensitive to all strong smells thus my love of all things green and natural. I was not enjoying the overpowing smell of gasoline in my car and was adamant it was not coming into my "sacred place" which is my home. I instruct Gaby to remove clothes upon entry , I remove mine and promptly throw into washer machine.

Heres what not to do first:
1. Do not combine with the clothes you already have in the washer machine because after your first unsuccessful attempt at washing the clothes now you have an entire load of smelly clothes.
2. I tried all of the following unsuccessfully: hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, large amounts of regular liquid detergent, more baking soda.
3. I then read online plus I have a major in Chemistry (no not Rocket Science Thank God it wasn't jet fuel)that you need an oil based cleaner thus me being green had no petroleum based products in the house so I thought-coconut oil, that didn't work either.
4. Washing 4 to 5 times with combinations of the above didn't work, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I left the clothes in the machine with obvious globs of organic coconut oil glistening back at me. All of this occurs between Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

What to do
1. Go to the .99cent store and buy a plethora of cleaning products.
2. Guess which one or ones to use first.
3. I tried one bottle of Arm and Hammer Essentials and Degreaser this is a plant based cleaner with an empty spray bottle and a small bottle of concentrated cleaner. I diluted it(meaning add the entire cartridge to empty bottle) with water about 50% (approx 16 0z) of the spray bottle and poured the entire bottle into the load.
4. I added approximately 2 ounces of Ajax Super Degreaser Antibacterial Orange dish soap .
5. Ran the load on hot/warm stopped it to soak overnight. Ran it the next morning and presto clean super fresh clothes.

Everything is clean, nothing was damaged and everything smelled absolutely wonderful. Now I know this wasn't a totally green solution but it was a successful one and my intention is that if I save one Mom or Rocket Scientist from all of my hassle and experimentation than my job here is done.

By the way I must add a footnote here. When I was a little kid I'd lock myself up in the bathroom and play Mad Scientist. I'd combine whatever I could in the sink like Selson Blue, toothpaste and toilet cleaner and then mix it all up. I guess this was before child safety locks.



Have a blessed day!!