TL;DR
Never put gasoline-contaminated clothing in a clothes dryer. Dryer heat and the appliance's own ignition sources can ignite gasoline vapor, and this is a documented cause of house fires. Take the garment off outdoors, hang it outside until the smell is completely gone, then wash it alone in hot water and line dry it outdoors. Heavily saturated clothing should be disposed of rather than laundered.
Why is gasoline on clothing dangerous?
Gasoline vaporizes at ordinary room temperature, and it is the vapor, not the liquid, that ignites. Vapor is heavier than air, so it pools in enclosed spaces such as a dryer drum, a laundry room, or a car trunk. A dryer supplies heat, tumbling that releases more vapor, and in gas models an open flame. That combination has started fires.
Source: U.S. Fire Administration
The same hazard applies to other petroleum solvents: kerosene, mineral spirits, paint thinner, lighter fluid, contact cement, and many degreasers.
Do this first, in order
1. Get outside and away from ignition sources. Move away from the water heater, furnace, dryer, stove, grill, cigarettes, and anything with a pilot light or a spark. Do not walk through the house in soaked clothing -- vapor travels with you.
2. Remove the clothing outdoors. If a large amount of gasoline is on the skin, remove the clothing and rinse the skin with plenty of water. Any skin reaction, burning, or difficulty breathing is a matter for medical help, not for a cleaning routine -- call a doctor or emergency services.
3. Do not put the garment in a plastic bag, a hamper, a car, or a closed room. Enclosing it concentrates the vapor.
4. Hang it outdoors, in open air, away from the house. A clothesline, a fence, or a rack in an open yard. Not a closed garage, not a shed, not a basement.
5. Leave it until you cannot smell gasoline at all. This takes at least twenty-four hours and often several days for a heavy spill. There is no shortcut, and the smell test is the standard.
Decide whether to launder it or discard it
Be honest about the amount.
Discard the garment if it was soaked, saturated, or if fuel pooled in it. Contaminated clothing that heavily is not worth the risk of bringing into a household appliance. Dispose of it according to your local hazardous waste guidance -- most areas have a household hazardous waste facility or collection event, and fire departments and waste agencies can direct you. Do not simply put a fuel-soaked garment in a household trash can.
Consider laundering only if the contact was small, such as a splash on a pant leg or a few drops, and only after the garment has aired outdoors until there is no detectable smell.
Washing a lightly contaminated garment
Pretreat the spot. Work a grease-cutting dish soap or a liquid laundry detergent into the affected area and let it sit fifteen to thirty minutes. Gasoline is a petroleum product, and it needs a surfactant the same way body oil does -- the same logic behind how to remove body oil from collars. A cup of baking soda worked into a paste over the area before pretreating helps absorb residual oil.
Wash it completely alone. Nothing else in the drum. Petroleum residue transfers to other garments and makes them hazardous too.
Use the hottest water the fabric allows, on the longest cycle, with a full detergent dose.
Add a cup of baking soda or a cup of white vinegar to the wash to help neutralize residual odor. Use one, not both, and never add any bleach product alongside vinegar.
Run the washer empty afterward. A hot cycle with detergent and no clothes flushes residue out of the drum and the drain line before your next load.
Line dry outdoors. Always. Never the dryer -- not on low, not on air fluff, not after one wash, not after two. Even trace residue in fabric can produce enough vapor in an enclosed hot drum to matter. Hang it outside until it is fully dry and the smell is gone.
Repeat if you can still smell fuel. Two or three wash cycles are sometimes needed. If the smell persists after that, the garment should be discarded.
Rags and shop textiles are a separate hazard
Rags used with solvents, and especially rags used with linseed oil, tung oil, or oil-based wood finishes, can generate heat as the oil cures. Piled in a bin, that heat has nowhere to go and the pile can ignite on its own with no external flame. This is spontaneous combustion, and it causes shop and garage fires every year.
Store oily rags flat and spread out to dry outdoors, or submerged in water in a sealed metal container, and dispose of them through hazardous waste channels. Never leave a pile of oily rags in a bucket, a plastic bag, or a corner.
Your dryer deserves attention regardless
Clothes dryers are one of the more common appliance fire sources in homes, and the leading factor is failure to clean them. Clean the lint screen after every load, and clean the vent duct that runs to the outside at least annually. How to clean a dryer lint trap properly and how to clean a dryer vent duct cover both jobs.
If clothing has also been through a fire, that is restoration work rather than laundry, though light smoke exposure can often be handled -- see how to get smoke smell out of clothing.
FAQ
Can you put gasoline-soaked clothes in the dryer?
No, never, under any circumstances. Dryer heat and the appliance's ignition sources can ignite gasoline vapor released by tumbling. This applies after washing as well -- gasoline-contaminated clothing is line dried outdoors only, even once it appears clean.
Can you wash gasoline out of clothes in a washing machine?
Only lightly contaminated items, and only after they have aired outdoors until no gasoline smell remains. Wash them alone in hot water with a grease-cutting pretreat, then run the empty machine on a hot cycle. Heavily soaked garments should be discarded, not laundered.
How long does it take for gasoline to evaporate out of clothing?
At least twenty-four hours in open outdoor air for a light splash, and several days for heavier contamination. The test is smell: if you can still detect gasoline, the garment is not ready to go anywhere near an appliance.
How do I dispose of gas-soaked clothing?
Through household hazardous waste channels, not the regular trash. Most areas have a collection facility or scheduled events, and your local waste agency or fire department can tell you where. Keep the item outdoors and away from ignition sources until you can drop it off.
Is it safe to wash clothes with kerosene or paint thinner on them?
The same rules apply. All petroleum solvents produce flammable vapor, so air the garment outdoors until the smell is gone, wash alone in hot water, and line dry outdoors. Heavily contaminated items should be discarded through hazardous waste disposal.
Do oily shop rags need special handling?
Yes. Rags with oil-based finishes can generate enough heat while curing to ignite on their own when piled together. Dry them spread flat outdoors or store them submerged in water in a sealed metal container, and dispose of them as hazardous waste.
If this keeps landing on one person, regular house cleaning services cover the whole-home version of the job.
Fuel on clothing is one of the few laundry situations where the right answer is often to throw the item away, and that is a reasonable call. For the ordinary household cleaning that surrounds a garage or a workshop, help is available. Every home is different, so the real number depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote and we will walk you through it.