The smell of fuel is making me ill!

[Spoiltexpatbrat]

Dh filled the car will petrol instead of diesel.

Took us over three hours last night to empty the bloody thing!

Our house is split over four levels with the garage on the second along with our living area. The smell has reached all four levels.

The smell of fuel is overwhelming, I've had the windows open but the wind is blowing the smell back in!

Is there anything I can burn, essentials oils etc that will get rid of the pong?

I have two dc's so It has to be safe to use around them.

Thanks

Don't think I would light anything if fumes are present.

Did you spill some> could you use bicarb to neutralise smell?

Garage has been scrubbed but the vapours still are penetrating the house.
The garage smells the least

My head hurts

Sounds like it has been walked into the house on shoes or clothes maybe?

Can you leave garage door open to blow through

RIng the local fire brigade non-emergency number or the local council if they have somebody that deals with hazardous stuff - maybe they would give you advice?

My mum was in a hotel where there was a diesel spill - her room was soaked in the stuff. Unfortunately she was asleep and doesn't have a very good sense of smell so didn't notice. Luckily the window was open. Hotel staff didn't do a very good job of banging on doors to wake people up - it was only when rooms were being reassigned and some people sent to other hotels that somebody else in her party asked where she and her partner were that they went back and were discovered fast asleep - they had to bang on the door a long time to wake them up.

She ended up with a really bad attack of chemical pneumonia and was badly ill afterwards (she's in her late 70s and hasn't really ever regained full fitness, having been very active all her life until being ill) - all as a result of being exposed to the diesel fumes so beware and if you do all feel ill in a day or two's time, don't just put it down to a cold that's doing the rounds, make sure that you get it checked out.

Mum was really lucky (in hindsight) as she had had a lung xray for something completely different a week or so before she went away and it was all clear, so when she ended up suing the hotel chain (all she wanted was an apology, an agreement to improve their processes to ensure all bedrooms were properly cleared in emergency situations - she was told that all bedrooms had been checked and were empty, except obviously they hadn't checked very well as she and her partner were still in their beds when the whole building was supposedly empty, thank goodness there wasn't a fire! and maybe a freebie weekend to replace the one that was ruined by feeling so ill). Anyhow, she was able to prove that she was fine the week beforehand which most people can't to that extent - but the fumes did make her feel wretched and then make her properly, nastily ill. so take care of yourselves!

We are in France and due to the language barrier I can't call anybody

The garage is part of the house iyswim, the garage doors were open for the three hours of 'operation get the bloody fuel out'

There is an internal door from garage into the house and directly down to basement (laundry area/gym) and also into the main hallway which is the living area level.

All clothes, shoes etc were removed and left outdoors last night.

The fumes have just penetrated the door Inbetween garage and house.

Both children are ok, dd is at nursery and I'm out with ds 11 months. I have left all windows open.

I'm sorry to hear about your dm zipzap
What a shock that must of been!

I'm keeping an eye on dh who bore the brunt of it last night, two showers later I'm still convinced I can smell it on him.

Shall I get loads of plugs in's? There must be something to get rid of smell?

There is no where else for us to go tonight, and dd returns in 3 hours so will have to go home.

plug ins just stick even more pollution into the air (and smell horrible anyway)

fuel fumes are highly volatile (by definition) and will go soon. Open windows according to the wind direction (if there are any on that side of the house), do NOT light ANYTHING and wait.

nowhere at all else to go? No hotels etc?

The windows have been open all day.

Thankfully the middle and top floor smells fresher and the smell seems to have gone.

The ground floor still is horrid, we will keep all windows open over night and just spend the evening on the top floor.

I guess it's a case of sitting and waiting it out.