Help please! Utility room smells like petrol.

[QueenJaneApproximately]

This morning, when we opened the door to the utility room, there was a strong smell of petrol. There was no petrol/oil spilled in there (or in the garage which is on the other side of the wall). Does anybody be have any idea what might be causing it? It definitely a petrol type smell, not gas. In there, we have a washer, drier, fridge and freezer. All appear to be working fine. I have closed the door to the utility and have opened the window in there to try and clear the smell but it is definitely lingering. Could it be one of the appliances? I also have a Lakeland dry soon, but that is obviously switched off at the moment. Any ideas appreciated!

Do you have anything stored in the garage that could be leaking through?

I think I'd be ringing the fire brigade for advice (if you Google your local station you should be able to find the number rather than using 999)

My gut also says to turn off the power to the room from the fuse box until you know what's going on!

Possibly a refrigerant leak in the fridge freezer?

Thanks for the replies. Definitely nothing in the garage - it’s been thoroughly checked. I did wonder about the freezer, it’s well over 10 years old but seems to be working ok. Would it smell like petrol?

Doesn't house run on oil instead of gas? Heating oil smells like petroleum

It’s gas central heating.

Does it have a sink/drain near. It could be coming up the drains. I agree would ring the fire brigade

Could a neighbour have used a lawnmower outside? It happens here sometimes. They mow the lawn but the smell goes into a room nearby and can't escape.

There is a drain in the floor, which does flood occasionally (used to be a garage before a wall was put up to split it in half so drain used to be in the garage). No flooding recently though. No sink in there.

It’s not a neighbour mowing, the smell went once the window was opened and came back when it was closed.

i didn’t know you could ring the local fire brigade for advice, will google the number.

Has anyone left a cloth in there which has been used for cleaning, for example sticky stuff remover?

Have you tried sniffing the drain to make sure it's not fumes coming up through it?

Could a creature (rat/mouse/squirrel) have died in there and be decomposing? You often get a chemical smell in the late stages of decomposition (but I think you would have smelt a bad smell before that stage)

@QueenJaneApproximately There is a drain in the floor, which does flood occasionally (used to be a garage before a wall was put up to split it in half so drain used to be in the garage). there is your problem! it used to be a garage/ perhaps the fuel storage tank underground has deteriorated!! make sure no naked flames till this is sorted!!

I once had this and it turned out to be a stray apple (or potato I can’t quite remember) that had rolled under a piece of furniture. Until I found it I thought the freezer was leaking refrigerant or something. Smelled sweet and chemically petrol ish and bizarrely strong.

I think she means they converted their garage to make half of it a utility room, not that it was a petrol station?

Even if it was a petrol station, any tanks, contaminated land or pipes would have been removed.

Do you have your gas boiler in there? Ours smelled like that, to me, and it turned out to be a microscopic gas leak.

If you have any fear it might be a gas leak, you can call the emergency number on your gas meter and they will send someone out to check for leaks (free of charge). Better safe than sorry?

Yes, the garage was converted into a utility (not a petrol station). It turned out to be the freezer- I noticed it had frozen up inside at the back, so have switched it off and removed it and the smell has gone. Thanks for all the suggestions.