What do you do when you spill bore cleaner?

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nico

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Last night, in my haste to get ready to go to the range today, I made the stupid decision to clean the bores of three rifles in my bedroom. In the process, I ended up spilling about 2 ounces of Hoppe's Bench Rest on my carpet. I (I thought) cleaned up the mess thoroughly and used carpet cleaner a couple times. I thought I had gotten rid of the fumes, but really just got used to them and went to bed thinking all was well. I woke up this morning feeling very nauseous with gastrointestinal distress that I won't describe in detail and realized that the fumes were still pretty strong. Even after cleaning the carpet several times and having my window opened with fans blowing all day, I still can't be in my room for more than 20 minutes or so without getting nauseous.

Is there anything I can do to get rid of the fumes quickly? I'd really like to sleep in my bed tonight, but I don't want a repeat of this morning tomorrow.
 
Good luck....I spilled a bottle of Hoppes on a pair of pants one time and never completely got the smell out. :(

Try renting a steam cleaner?
 
Grind up a charcoal brickette and work it in, let it sit a day, vacuum it up, and hit it with Oxyclean. Hopefully it won't discolor the carpet. Then do the same thing with some baking soda, should take care of any residual odor. Good luck.
 
I learned the hard way to ALWAYS keep the lid on, and I mean screwed on tight, on the hoppes! Only open it to carefully dip the cleaning brush in. Fortunately, my learning mistake was in an apartment... :evil:
 
What do you do when you spill bore cleaner?
Click to expand...

Laugh, generally. For me it's usually, "Oh DUH! Again?!" ;)

In your case I'd probably blot as much up as possible, they mebbe mix in a less-offensive and lighter solvent. blot again, and repeat.
 
Spilled some in the car when the range bag tipped over again...

Those bottles leak real easy.
 
Don't get things like Hoppe's #9 in your eyes it can cause permanent eye damage !!!
 
Hi All-

That's funny, I have little potpourri bags of fragrant Hoppe's #9 and dried flower petals spread all around my home. Smells pretty in a gunrange sort of way.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
This is why I NEVER clean my guns indoors. I've tipped over at least 3 nearly full bottles of Hoppes (at least one of those times it was a glass bottle that fell onto concrete - that one may have had its lid on, not that it mattered). Thankfully I was outdoors every time.

One thing I've started to do, and this really speeds up cleaning time, is to (after disassembeling and removing any wood/rubber/other matierial that could be harmed) hose down the gun with Break Parts Cleaner (or Carb Cleaner). Keep hosing until the liquid runs clear. Wipe down and let dry (the solvent is so volitile dry time is very fast). The do a quick cleaning with patches/boresnake with a little Hoppes/CLP, lube if not using CLP to to do the quick clean, and reassemble. Cut my pistol leaning time to just a couple of minutes each. Rifles take longer just becuase of their size, but not much. Biggest advantage to this method is for those of us living in especially dusty climates the hosing with break parts cleaner really gets the grit out of even the tightest spots. No need for Q-tips with this method.
 
The charcoal idea might work. Charcoal absorbs odors and impurities very well.

Other idea is to try multiple steam cleanings along with some Fabreeze.

I have a customer that spilled a gallon of malathion insecticide in a storage room. They've run a fan 24/7/365, and the room still stinks too bad to stay in for more than a minute or two. The spill was over 15 years ago.
 
No personal experience, but it's only a matter of time. Baking soda or some type of carpet-fresh powder would be my first try, then Febreeze, then use of a steam cleaner.

And thanks for the warning. I'll try to be more careful (for awhile anyway).

Please let us know what finally works.
 
Hoppes is mostly kerosene with some other fancy stuff. Kerosene is not water soluable so, no amount of steam cleaning will remove it. The odor is a benzene aromatic, not a biological odor so febreese will have little long term effect. (my Dad's a chemist, you learn things)

There's a product called "Capture" and is sold at Home Depot or Lowes. It is a carpet safe solvent that will dissolve and evaporate the kerosene. Use it according to directions and it will not stain, fade or damage the carpet. If you can't find capture, look for a solvent spot remover to use on ink or other such stains. You'll probably need multiple treatments to get rid of the odor.

There's a good chance that it has gotten down to the pad and possibly dissolved the backing glue. If that's the case, it's probably permanent.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I tried a carpet cleaner we happened to have lying around the house but it only added it's own aroma to the stench. Baking soda seems to be making a difference. I'm gonna pick up some better carpet cleaner (probably capture and/or folex) at one of the local home improvement stores.
 
solvent

Two scenarios:

#1 First, find out where your wife is ... once threat is identified start a defensive action. I find that calling a dog in the room and then exclaiming FIDO NO! followed by a lot of commotion will bring female of species to the ready. Have look of surprise turn to look of despair with head turning toward dog. A few cuss words (sorry Preacherman) may help, not too strong, remember this is wifey present. This should activate dog defensive mechanism, and neutralize threat. Say I'm sorry honey. Then do what ever is demanded. Later take dog for walk and buy him a steak!

#2 I would first mop up any excess or puddled fluid, with a clean WHITE (no colored rags) rag - use a T shirt if you have to it is cheaper than a new rug. Some kind of adsorbant materal should be placed down. Saw dust or the material used to soak up motor oil spills - these should be "worked" in a bit with a different rag than above. I would imagine that those who reload could use the ground up absorbant material from casing agitator - any reloaders have this experience? I'd let the first bit of this soak for a minute, pick it up and apply fresh. Let it do its work and pick it up with a shop vac it you have one. Hope for the best. Absolutely get some cross ventilation going and remove all your petrolateum distillate soaked materials outside to the trash. Do not place these in a closed can in a hot garage.

I used to use Hoppe's when we had just a tile floor, we now have a rug over this area and have changed to MP7 to avoid the above. I also place an old beach towel on the table, then cover it with newspaper.
 
You guys clean guns indoors over carpeted floors. I have always cleaned mine in the garage with cement floor on a metal topped bench. What will really get you is I don't think I have ever spilled the bottle. :neener:
 
Geeze, I cleaned my guns in my bedroom for almost 25 years. Carpets and all. I spilled some, and I cleaned it up. Yep my room smelled like Hoppes. The scent will disapate after a while, then I'd just spill some more.

I also had a military foot locker in my room. In that was a two part chemical that makes skunk scent. Even with the bottles tightly closed the slight leakage made my footlocker smell like skunk.

So between the skunk in the footlocker and the Hoppes in the carpet my room always smelled fine.

Can someone tell me how I managed to get married?



Joe


Oh, wifie didn't seem to mind the well scented bed room. She's like no other gal I ever knew. I still don't know how I managed to get married.


Nico, if the fumes are that bad on you, here is too things you can do:
Move the bed to another room.
Find another sport that doesn't use chemicals. Shooting may not be your forte.
 
my wife uses

My wife has found that AJAX powder sprinkled over the bad area or the whole carpet works wonders. Leave dry and vaccum up. Also Dow Foaming Bubbles cleans spots in the truck and car carpet very well, and does no harm. Have used it on a lot similar cleaning needs. Even my hat. ...Hope this helps..................MUTT
 
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