How to Clean Up Mineral Spirits Spill: A DIY Guide

Mineral spirits are a pesky solvent, especially if it falls on fabric. Now, they’re very hard to take off, so you aren’t alone in this one. The solvent tends to stick to the fabric of your cloth and even if you do manage to get it off, the odor still lingers.

So, how to clean up mineral spirits spill from a cloth surface with things you usually find around the house?

Well, you have to follow the 9 total steps that we laid out here for two different scenarios. Throughout the whole process, you’ll let the mineral spirits evaporate, spray stain remover, wash the cloth, let it dry, and much more.

We will come back to this further down the article but here’s a link if you want to see more about the best shop rags for cleaning that you can get at a very reasonable price.

So, without waiting any further, let’s jump into the process. But, before that, we’ll do a quick revision on mineral spirits in general.

Mineral Spirits: In General

There are a lot of solvents out there. But usually, the best ones are the peskier of the bunch. Mineral Spirits match this description pretty well.

This solvent is distilled from petroleum. With its application in both homes and industries, it is considered to be a rather versatile solvent.

But, as we said before, it can be quite a pain if it accidentally spills on a cloth or some other fabric surface. So, now we’ll see how you can clean up this mess.

How to Clean Up Mineral Spirits Spill?

To make things easier for you to understand at your convenience, we set apart two scenarios and gave them separate steps that you can follow easily on how to remove mineral spirits.

So, let’s start with normal clothes that need the mineral spirit spills removed. Here goes:

Scenario 1: From Clothes

In this scenario, we assume that the mineral spirit spilled onto a cloth. So, let’s see how we can clean that mess up.

Step 1: Let the Mineral Spirits Evaporate

Start by letting the mineral spirits evaporate. Since they are made by distilling from petroleum, mineral spirits are volatile.

So, you can easily get the mineral spirits to completely evaporate, so that you can work with the lingering odor.

Just in case you need them, here are some of our favorite mineral spirits evaporate–

• Sunnyside Corporation 872G1S.
• Oil Eater AOD1G35437 Original 1 Gallon Cleaner.

Once this step is done, move on to the next one. 

Step 2: Spray Stain Remover

In this step, you need to spray some stain remover onto the spill point. The amount should be generous so that the stain remover might work its magic.

Once this step is covered, move on to the step on our list.

Here is the best spray stain removers list-

• Shout Laundry Stain Remover Trigger Spray.
• OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover Spray..

Step 3: Wash the Cloth

Now that you have finished applying the stain remover, you can start washing the cloth to get rid of any remaining stains or lingering odors.

So, go ahead and wash the cloth. Here are some of our recommended mild detergents:

• Woolite Clean & Care Liquid Laundry Detergent.
• All Liquid Laundry Detergent.

Once the washing is done, move on to the next step.

Step 4: Let it Dry

Now, the washing is done. So it’s time for the final touches in this scenario. So, let the cloth dry and look for a lingering smell. 

And that’s it for the first scenario. In the next scenario, we’ll learn how to remove these spirits from carpets.

Scenario 2: From the Carpet

In this scenario, we assume that the mineral spirit spilled onto a carpet. So, let’s see how we can clean that mess up.

Step 1: Let the Solvent Evaporate

Start by letting the solvent evaporate on its own. Then we will get down to business on the next step here.

Step 2: Coat with Carpet Cleaner

Now, you have to use an adequate amount of coat with a carpet cleaner to make sure that you can remove the dirt and the dust for these guys.

Step 3: Rub the Area

Start by rubbing the area with a bristle scrub brush and use it accordingly.

Here are some recommendations for bristle scrub brush :

• OXO Good Grips All Purpose Scrub Brush.
• Amazer Scrub Brush Comfort Grip.

Step 4: Wipe the Area

Now, look for places that are free from the cleanser. Then wipe them with a wet cloth to take care of the dry places. Then use a dry towel to absorb the water.

And, that’s it. Those were the ways you can clean up mineral spirit spills onto your cloth surface. Now, let’s answer some questions.

FAQs

Question: How soon should I clean the cloth or carpet?

Answer: Tend to the spill as soon as possible. Because in case the sooner you tend to it, the better chances you have of actually getting it off.

Question: How do I use the dry method of vacuuming?

Answer: For dry debris, you can use the dry method of vacuuming. In this method, all you do is vacuum dry stuff. Now, make sure no moisture reaches the surface. Otherwise, it’ll be a problem.

Question: What kind of cleaning agent should I be using?

Answer: Use a cleaning agent that is as mild as possible to ensure that your carpet is not ruined by the cleaning agent. Start with only tap water (which is almost a neutral 7.0 on the pH scale).  If water alone is insufficient, try a diluted, mild, alkaline cleaner (pH 7 to pH 10).

Question: What kind of cloth should I use to wipe the surfaces?

Answer: We would recommend you to use a white, clean, and absorbent towel for this. The carpet’s pile can get distorted permanently if you use a bristle. So, we prefer that you use a clean washcloth.

Question: How do I remove petroleum byproducts?

Answer: Use a clear solvent-based product to remove petroleum-based problems.  Petroleum byproducts include some inks, paints, markers, crayons, cosmetics, lipstick, lotion, sunscreen, furniture, and shoe polish, lubricant, oil, grease, asphalt, and tar.

Question: Can you use mineral spirits on clothes?

Answer: Yes you can use mineral spirits on your cloth .

Some Parting Words

That’s all from us for now. We put everything together in detail so that you can learn how to clean up mineral spirits spill.

We hope our carefully curated 9 total steps helped to solve your problem. But, here a piece of advice if you don’t want to fall into this hassle again:

“Prevention is better than a cure”.

Other than that, let us know if you want us to cover something else or if we missed something in general. You can do that by commenting below.

Till then, stay safe and conscious, and Good luck with the process on how to neutralize mineral spirits.

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