Coated clothes in hydraulic oil - what to do?

[Charlesaf3]

So I was just using my log splitter, and the hose clamp (hose clamp?!!) on the return for the hydraulic fluid let go, coating my jacket and my favorite pair of carhartt overalls in hydraulic oil.

Not a high pressure line, thankfully, so no injection worries. But I have the sneaking suspicion putting my overalls in the was wouldn't be good for the washing machine or the septic system.

Anything I can do to clean them, or do I have to throw them away?

Figured oils, lubricants was the best place for this... And I'm guessing I'm not the first to take a hydraulic shower...

[Opti-Mist]

Yea, I've seen a couple of good showers, luckily not mine though. I'd think you're right about being hard on the septic. If you have a sawdust collection to soak up the oil, you might consider a detergent soak for the clothes to remove most of the oil, dump the soak on the sawdust, let the water evaporate, do what makes sense with the sawdust. Or, put the clothes in a bag with a bunch of kitty litter, knead the bagged mix to soak oil from the clothes. Then wash the clothes once most of the oil is gone. I wish you well with your recovery.

[JoelD]

IF my clothes get particularly nasty I bring to laundramat.

Joel

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

give them a "first rinse" with dawn dish soap in a 5 gallon bucket with hot water and use a broomstick or shovel handle to agitate them - it'll break up the worst of the oil, then you should be able to wash them in a regular washing machine.

[Mark_in_NH]

Throw them away !!

[Charlesaf3]

any detergent particularly good for oil?

[Charlesaf3]

Originally Posted by Erik_in_Hoyt

give them a "first rinse" with dawn dish soap in a 5 gallon bucket with hot water and use a broomstick or shovel handle to agitate them - it'll break up the worst of the oil, then you should be able to wash them in a regular washing machine.

ok, thanks, saw this after my post. seems worth a try

[CurlyDave]

If you do this, I would be cautious about disposal of the wash "water" in the bucket.

Especially if you have a well. A little bit of oil goes a long way in a well.

Give it 2 or 3 wash separately in a bucket treatments...

[Charlesaf3]

yeah, I've got a well. putting the carhartts in the fireplace is starting to seem like the thing to do. I really hate that answer they are finally broken in.

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

dry cleaners.
those solvents will clean out anything - and they're set up to properly dispose of the wastes.