Does used motor oil contain toxic fumes while sitting or stained on carpet in your car?

Question

I had a bit of an oil spill of used motor oil in my passenger side of my car. It seeped into the floor under the carpet and I was able to absorb most all of the oil. Will the left over oil on the carpet and on the floor be toxic in terms of fumes? I was thinking maybe on a hot day the oil will heat up inside the car with closed windows and cause some hazerdous fumes etc.

Answer 1

Nothing toxic unless it is dugested. The best way is to put an absorbent (cat litter) on the area and let it sit for a few days. Then wipe the area with an alcohol. This will eliminate any possibility

Answer 2

It's possible, actually. Any hydrocarbon will release Volatile Organic Compounds when heated. The amount will be based on the vapor pressure of the individual components. New motor oil won't release much, but used oil has loads of contaminants in it that will "boil" off at much lower temperatures.

VOCs are never good on humans -- those little air fresheners that you plug into an outlet are downright filthy polluters and often send asthmatics into fits -- so it's a good idea to get it cleaned professionally. If you're not particularly sensitive to VOCs it might not be too harmful, but that odor that you're getting is telling you that SOMETHING is getting into the air inside your car from the spill.

Answer 3

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