Thursday, January 29, 2009

Oil spill- send help

Dear loyal readers and super homemakers,

I need your help. A while ago, I'm thinking three weeks now *embarrassed to admit that*, I knocked a bottle of safflower oil off the top shelf in my pantry and when it hit the floor the lid cracked, and before I could stop it, about two cups of oil was everywhere. Being so long ago, I can't recall the details to why I couldn't clean it up "properly" but nevertheless, I made a few bad choices.

Bad choice #1- I yelled to Gabbers bring me two cloth diapers. I was thinking I didn't want to be wasteful and anti-green and use a whole roll of paper towels. Then I asked Gabbers to bring me two more cloth diapers. This was a lot of oil.

Bad choice #2- I did NOT clean up the rest of the oil immediately. In fact, I didn't even finish cleaning up the oil-soaked cloth diapers. I just left them there. For whatever reason I still cannot remember.

Bad choice #3- I forgot to tell Danny when he tossed in a load of towels to keep these cloth diapers separate from everything else.

When the four oil-soaked cloth diapers were no longer in the pantry, I forgot about the oil mess.

Now some evil consequences I am faced with that I need some advice on.

We washed that load of towels on hot with distilled white vinegar approximately 9,238 times. My plushy natural white bathmat (yes the one mentioned here) must've been in the original load. Unfortunately, after the load had only been washed about three times, it went through the dryer.

I've bleached that load a couple times. And still the oil smell permeates the bathmat, every white bath towel we own, and four cloth diapers. Can it EVER come out?

My other dilemma, which I find even more frustrating, is the oil in the pantry splashed onto the bread machines. Now the bread machines and the pantry floor have this sticky oil on them that will NOT budge. I even tried using one of those brown Pampered Chef nylon pan scrapers and VERY hot soapy water.

Please help. :(

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

My MIL swears by apple cidar vinegar to cut anything with an oil base. She uses Sunbreeze oil for everything and the vinegar gets it right off her fingers. Try it.

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

I'm no help here, Nikki, but I'm going to check your comments to see what the solution is.

Good luck. All I can think of is those drowned-rat-looking ducks in the Exon oil spill a few years ago!

Nikki said...

hahaha Jane. I have been SEARCHING your site positive the answer is there somewhere.

Just SO said...

It's not a "green" solution but the thing that I've found that cuts through grease is the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I love those things. As for the bath mats and towels I have no clue. I use a Fels Naptha bar to get out greasy stains on clothing but I don't know if that would work in this case. Good luck!

A. said...

Goo Be Gone? Tee Tree oil aded to the load for scent? I dunno... I'm not familiar with safflower oil.

Keys Family said...

Try some Coke it takes the jet fuel out of Sam's uniforms. It works on almost everything!!!

i'm erin. said...

I say GO SHOPPING! Why not just throw it all away and start fresh....ohhh I love to shop and start fresh.

Mike and Jen said...

I am no help either so my suggestion is to just start owning that smell and just wait pretty soon it will be the next big rave in scents!

The Leake's are everywhere said...

Here is one more "greased lightening". It is a cleaning agent specifically for oils. Another one that works well is Goop or Gojo. YOu would have to use quite a bit of it though. As for the smell, apple cider vinegar works the best for me. Good lick on it.

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

Nikki, I just remembered that someone sent a tip in saying:

If you or your kids or the husband work around grease, cooking or car grease and you have to wash the clothes try this next time.

Put the clothing in the washer add the soap and then dump in a can of Mellow Yellow or Mt Dew OR Fago Pop's version of those two. I use the Fago myself. wash as usual and when you remove them you will have fresh smelling laundry and NO grease!

Who knows if it works, but it's a thought.

Julie V. said...

I'm late reading this one, so I might just give you a call, but when I was working at the bakery I learned a secret, really-works way to get oil out of clothing. (even old, washed many times stuff) First, soak the stained items in a sink (or tub or bucket) of water that has about one half cup of powdered dishwasher detergent dissolved in it. Swish the clothes around in the water. Let soak. The dishwasher detergent is designed to cut grease... After soaking, I toss the whole bucket of water and clothes into the washing machine and wash with cool, not hot water. Good luck. Let me know if it works!

Kristin - The Goat said...

I've used the super fine baking soda in a shaker bottle and a wet thin cloth (I use a paper towel) and a little bit of elbow grease.)

Good Luck to you!
Kristin

SuperCoolMom said...

no clue.