Getting the smell of petrol off your hands?

[Anthony]

Obviosuly I didnt have enough to drink last night, as I found myself outside this morning freezing my fingers off pumping old petrol out of a boat fuel tank, to use it up by mixing in a bit with full tanks in the car.

Anyway SWMBO has informed me that its not as nice smelling as I think, but having washed my hand several times with washing up liquid, soaps, swafega etc they still smell of petrol. Apart form seeing if I can get a more understanding SWMBO in the January sales, what else can I do to get petrol off skin?

BTW I know old petrol has been discussed on here before and normally ends up in a big argument, but I figured about 5l per full tank (approx 40-50l), the fuel is about 5 years old and sat in an inboard (vented) fuel tank. sound about right? I estimate about 50-100l to get rid of so not easy to just dump or take somewhere.

Thanks

Anthony

PS, Happy new year

 

[PeterGibbs]

Cut an orange in half and massage well in.

PWG

 

[sarabande]

rind of lemon or orange. Full of natural solvents that don't dry the skin.

Could it be that you have some petrol on a shirt cuff ?

 

[Refueler]

Modern diesel and gasoline are awful smell and I sympathise. We haven't found a solution to it yet and we work with the stuff every day.

 

[MoodySabre]

Get petrol, diesel, fish etc smells off your hands using stainless steel soap followed by a normal wash. Unlikely but true

like this or Lakeland too I think.

 

[boguing]

Lots of soap!

About a year ago I became aware that lots of mechanics now wear gloves. 200 for less than a fiver. Now on my fourth box (Land Rover re-build). Wonderful, no more Swarfega (which I've always thought worse than anything I'm trying to wash off).

 

[RestlessL]

[ QUOTE ]
Lots of soap!

[/ QUOTE ]

and COLD water. Hot water will open your pores. Cold will close them and prevent the oil (or whatever) from being absorbed.

John

 

[dam747iam]

citrus based hand cleaner, from motor factors

 

[Shearwater]

How does it work? Something to do with the world being a positive charge and the steel soap being negative? But how do they change the polarity of an ion..... ?

 

[MoodySabre]

Even the pit of all knowledge Wikip is lost on this one but thios a quote from chemistry.about.com
[ QUOTE ]
How It Works

This is speculation on my part - if you know more about the chemistry behind this phenomenon, please feel free to write me. It makes sense to me that the sulfur from the onion/garlic/fish would be attracted to and bind with one or more of the metals in stainless steel. Formation of such compounds is what makes stainless steel stainless, after all. Onions and garlic contain amino acid sulfoxides, which form sulfenic acids, which then form a volatile gas (propanethiol S-oxide), which forms sulfuric acid upon exposure to water. These compounds are responsible for burning your eyes while cutting onions and also for their characteristic scent. If the sulfur compounds bind to the steel, then the odor is removed from your fingers.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is odd that even though you just use cold water your hands smell metallic and then that just washes off.

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif but it works!

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I find diesel has a repulsive and makes me feel sick. I have tried many cleansers but washing Soda crystals seem as good as any, finished off by rubbing lemon juice into the skin.
I too have taken to using the surgical type gloves and I now keep a box of them on board and in the boot of the car. I did a lot of painting last winter and the usual engine service, and the gloves are the best route.

 

[Shearwater]

quote"These compounds are responsible for burning your eyes while cutting onions and also for their characteristic scent. If the sulfur compounds bind to the steel, then the odor is removed from your fingers"
Perhaps this is why a stainless tea spoon in your mouth, facing downwards, when peeling onions prevents the pain???

 

[MoodySabre]

Handle in your mouth with bowl facing down? Have to try that one.