# removing gasoline from leather shoe soles



## shrum (Oct 23, 2005)

Thinking I was standing in mostly water while filling my car tank, I managed to stand for an apparently substantial amount of time in a puddle of gasoline in a pair of C & J Chelseas. 

Does anyone have any recommendations (ideally tried and true) for removing the smell from the soles? I have scrubbed the soles with heavy duty detergent and hot water a number of times, and I've let them air out with soles up. However, after almost two weeks, the smell is still very strong.

L. J.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

If they're a size 11, they cannot be saved. Send them to me for proper disposal.

I have found that wearing them often will eliminate the smell--maybe it's the constant "sanding" of the pavement removing the saturated leather? At any rate, just wear the hell out of them and leave them in the garage to air out overnight.


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## Finian McLonergan (Sep 23, 2009)

shrum said:


> Does anyone have any recommendations (ideally tried and true) for removing the smell from the soles? .


Scrubbing the soles with water-based treatments is unlikely to work since gasoline is not water-soluble.

First, consult a reputable cobbler and/or email C&J for advice.

You could try wiping the sole with a cloth lightly damped in an organic(*) solvent, such as methylated spirit (methanol), pure ethanol, or benzene, in which gasoline is readily soluble, but be careful not to get splashes on the uppers as they will dissolve the waxes and polishes and stain the leather. And wear a charcoal-based mask if using benzene. Avoid acetone or toluene bacause they stink.

If this fails, you should simply get them resoled. After all, Goodyear-welted soles are designed to be repeatedly resoled.

By the way, exposure to gasoline won't bother your leather soles too much. But in your C&J (or EGs for that matter), the canvas rib (to which the welt is stitched) that goes around the perimeter of the undersurface of the insole is cemented in place using an organic-based glue. And the thermoformed material supporting the toecaps is also of synthetic organic origin. So it's best that neither the gasoline nor any other organic solvents come in contact with same. If you suspect this you might consider returning the shoes to C&J for recrafting so they can sort out any problem properly.

Be thankful you weren't wearing rubber soles. Gasoline dissolves many types of rubber causing crazing which leads quickly to flex-cracking.

(*) The term "organic" refers to organic chemistry - the chemistry of compounds that contain at least one atom of carbon. :teacha:


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

Buy a bag of kitty litter. Let the shoes stand in it for a few hours. Keep doing it until the odor goes away. Keep an eye on the cat while doing this if you happen to have one.


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## tda003 (Aug 16, 2009)

I have used the product K2r to remove all manner of oil stains - both vegetable and petrleum - on both clothing and on shoes. It seems to pull the oil right out. It's certainly worth trying. I suspect that if the gasoline comes out, the odor will soon follow. It can't hurt.


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## beherethen (Jun 6, 2009)

Try making a paste of water and baking soda and paste it on the soles. Then go over the affected area with a very fine sandpaper lightly. You just want to take off the surface. I'd think that would do it.


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## riyadh552 (Mar 4, 2009)

I was filling up yesterday, and I heard the click of the auto-shut-off in the nozzle, but the pump continued to pump. This caused some gasoline to spill out, with a couple of drops landing on my black calf boots. Can anyone advise of potential damage to the leather? I wiped it off thoroughly once I got home (5 minutes later), but it 5 minutes to soak in.


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## aluminiumfish (Feb 19, 2009)

the smell is benzene...gasoline evaporates 
maybe fill the inner sole with _fullers earth_ and leave for a week


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

A match will work.


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## Carolus (May 12, 2009)

Alexander Kabbaz said:


> A match will work.


I had a friend try this with sneakers while still wearing the shoe. Not smart! The sneaker melted together with the sock, causing severe burns, that later got infected. Took him several months to recover.


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## cobblestone (Feb 13, 2007)

If all else fails, you can have the soles replaced with new leather and new cork filler under the soles.


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## DC Attorney (Apr 30, 2008)

I had the same problem once and I think that Cobblestone's advice is probably the best. That is exactly what I did.

This comes from someone who was a fuels engineer in a former life. (Note also that the smell is not due to only to benzine, as has been noted above).


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## shrum (Oct 23, 2005)

*removing gasoline smell from shoes*

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Because of some things that came up, I was not able to try any of the suggestions right away. But after about a week, the smell has subsided noticeably, and I've tried the baking soda and cat litter remedies, as these are the handiest. It seems to work. Plus, I'm also adopting the "were the hell out of them" remedy as well.


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