4 quarts of used oil spilled in carpet....

[Nick1994]

I was working on my grandpas Jeep Cherokee and ran out of time. The used oil I put in a gallon jug and apparently it fell over inside the trunk area and the lid leaked. Luckily a lot poured out the back since the front was on jack stands. I poured hot water and dawn dish soap in there and tried to flush out what I could. Also with the shop vac. It stained a little bit but I just want it to not be greasy. Any magic that can get this out? It's tan/ brown carpet BTW. Thanks

 

[Volv04Life]

It happened to me once. The carpet wrinckled and even a year later still feels oily and looks brown. Also to this day if i wipe it with a rag the rag ends up brown. Its like it multiplies.

 

[Shannow]

I've seen soluble oil work before at being a co-solvent for cleaning oil out of carpet.

Work it in, let it sit a bit, then hose out/shampoo.

 

[dparm]

Oil removes oil.

That being said, I would just replace the carpet.

 

[Kira]

Hello, Various cleaners will cut oil remarkably well. I'd get lots of absorb any paper together and wash it liberally with straight "Purple Power" or its cheaper cousin. Hit it, wash it out, hit it again. Raise the front end so the oily grunge can drain. Situate the vehicle where it can drain harmlessly. When you get tired, press the absorbant paper against where you were working.

Then do it again. No telling how many sessions it'll take. You screwed up. Endure the pain. Kira

 

[earlyre]

removeable carpet? if so, remove from vehicle, place on top a few layers of newspaper, card board boxes, etc, then add a layer of oil dry, or cheap kitty liter. let it set for a few days.

remove the litter. soak with Purple power, straight Simple Green, LA's Totally Awesome, TIDE, something(suggesting one, not all) let that soak in for a bit, take it to your local DIY Car wash, and power wash the carpet until the water runs clear, then leave to dry in the sun for a few days. (unless you can fit it in a commercial dryer (laundromat)

repeat as needed.

or hit a junkyard for a replacement carpet.

 

[JHZR2]

Sorry to hear that. Once I got some used oil on some interior carpet, and woolite oxy deep worked well. If you're going to keep the carpet, I'd first work a few boxes of baking soda into the carpet to pull as much oil as you can. Then after it's done all that it can, then the oxy deep.

 

[147_Grain]

Originally Posted By: dparm
I would just replace the carpet.


+1

 

[Chris142]

Simple green?

 

[Rolla07]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Sorry to hear that. Once I got some used oil on some interior carpet, and woolite oxy deep worked well. If you're going to keep the carpet, I'd first work a few boxes of baking soda into the carpet to pull as much oil as you can. Then after it's done all that it can, then the oxy deep.


+1

At the end oxy deep or simple green. I like other advice too..to remove carpet and hit with wand spray.

 

[qwertydude]

Oil will wick so the best thing to do is first do what you can to wick the oil up. Cat litter is a good trick. Pile it on top and leave it there. If you can leave it to soak for a couple days that's the best thing to do that way it doesn't go flying around and get stuck in crevices. Vacuum that stuff up with a wet dry vac to get it out.

After that a good strong degreaser like Purple Power, soak it and let it work then suck out as much of it with a wet dry vacuum as possible repeat til it doesn't come out black. Then soak the area in water and suck it out, repeat until the water comes out clean.

You can get a good majority of the oil out but that much used oil will probably leave a permanent stain. With fresh oil I've been able to remove and restore a whole quart spilled onto carpet with the above method.

 

[macdole99]

happened to me before also. i put baking soda and then kitty litter on it and took a stiff brush and rubbed it into the stain. it got alot out. repeated it a few times.then i cleaned with straight purple power. most is gone but it still showed a slight tint of brown.

 

[strat81]

Originally Posted By: dparm
I would just replace the carpet.

Ditto.

 

[mcrn]

rent a steam cleaner.

 

[gomes512]

In our Grand Cherokee I can pry up the carpet by removing the plastic trim by the hatch. There is a liner underneath, presumably for sound deadening, that likes to absorb and hold liquid.

I would see if it is feasible to pry up the carpet a bit, then you can attack the oily mess from both sides.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Thinking outside the normal cleaning solution box. Obviously get the big stuff first with the absorbents and try to clean with some cleaner as described. Take a big note about the padding underneath as that absorbs and holds everything.

My friend spilled used oil in his pool accidentally. He used an enzyme cleaner called Pool First Aid by Natural Chemistry and it was cleared in no time. Septic systems I have seen the results of Biosafe One developed using the same enzymes that were used to clean up from Exxon Valdez. The enzymes eat the oil.

Not for oil but I have used Natures Miracle from pet store to clean and get rid of stains and smells from MANY different spills in the cars (Baby formula, Vomit, milk, blood, pet accidents) and it is also an enzyme based cleaner. Breaks down all the funk and no more smells. Worst was the cat urine during summer. 2 days later, smell gone for good.

Find an enzyme based version and pour it on and let it work.

 

[SteveSRT8]

No offense but you must match the enzyme to the problem.

There are specific cleaning agents made with enzymes that were designed for cleaning greasy restaurant carpets that may help here.

Pet stains and smells are treated with a completely different solution...

 

[Revving2Redline]

Use Nelium if you can find it...works good. Found out if you buy a house where a cat lived, pull carpet, change to 10lb pad and use zinsser white pigmented shellac on the substrate. I can only wonder how arm n hammer / baking soda work.....

 

[Revving2Redline]

If you have oil in a pool, go to a barbershop and sweep up all the hair. Use pantyhose and put hair in pantyhose. Tie it and add another layer of pantyhose to keep it from coming loose and tie it in a knot and throw in pool. I think they did something like that when they had oil ocean spill.

 

[RTexasF]

Replace it, it's just that simple. Once the old is removed MAKE SURE the floor is spotless as it will contaminate the new carpet.