Wood soaked up diesel

[ducked]

If its really heavily soaked, nothing will get it out, but it probably isn't. A little diesel goes a long way.

You could probably clean the surface off with boiling water/detergent, acetone/white spirit/tupentine, perhaps in that order, and then seal it with boiled linseed oil or varnish to suppress the smell.

I have a feeling that boiled linseed oil is less likely to be lifted by diesel migrating back up to the cleaned surface, but varnish is more likely to keep it in. No evidence to support that feeling, so a research opportunity for you.

Let us know

 

[Concerto]

I got a piece of wood here that soaked uo a lot of diesel and consequently reeks. Not to mention being a fire hazard.

Anythung I can treat the wood with to get the diesel out? Acetone? Or air it out for a few weeks? Fairy liquid?

If the wood can be removed, then a furniture restorers trick to remove oil stains from wood should work. Pour a little methylated spirit on the affected area and set light to it. The flame will never touch the wood and the heat draws the oil out. It sounds a bit daft but it does work.

 

[Rappey]

How long do you think the diesel smell will stay?

Can only guess. Have a diesel engine disaster where diesel ends up everywhere, i would still say 2-3 weeks for the smell to go.
A diesel stained bulkhead if its been getting wet for a long time i would imagine will stay discoloured.

 

[sarabande]

Try the SOBO product range from OilTechnics in Aberdeen, Tel: +44 (0) 1561 361515 Email: info@oiltechnics.com

Their telephone people are very clued up. IIRC "Sobo Gold is the product.

 

[catalina1]

Sodium bicarbonate and white vinegar

 

[Blueboatman]

I am no chemist but I have had diesel escapes from fuel system and heater.

You need to dilute whatever you use to dilute and soak away the diesel , in stages of drawing out the contaminant.
Patience and persistence wins.

Thus, you might try petrol() then white spirit or acetone then methylated spirit and finally really hot water with washing up liquid.
And the sprinkle liberally with bicarbonate of soda and leave it for a few days.

 

[C08]

From experience in a laboratory in about 1970, I can say that if you have a severe cold, washing hankies in acetone revives them very rapidly! But that laboratory would have driven any H&S person to drink. I hate to think what I was exposed to there.

If diesel has soaked into wood, nothing but time will remove it effectively; perhaps GENTLE heat. My experience of getting the cuff of a Musto Snug wet with diesel was that a) Musto couldn't recommend anything that would remove it and b) it slowly evaporated over many months.

In the early 60's I was a Scientific Officer in a lab where we used lots of Acetone, pentane, acetylene and stored gases including Ammonia over mercury baths. That was at the Safety in Mines Health &Safety Exec field station in Buxton!

 

[wrr]

I bought a boat once which had bare wood bilges. The smell of Cuprinol and diesel combined was overpowering. However, cleaning the surface with white spirit. followed by acetone, with the precautions of no sparks and copious ventilation, followed by two coats of chlorinated rubber paint solved the problem.