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View Full Version : un-expected oil treatment of the worst kind, or how to get motor oil out of hair



hair jim
July 13th, 2008, 08:50 AM
Help!
I changed the oil on my car today, and thought i moved the drain pan far enough back... i did just far enough to accidently lean back in it!
i washed my hair 3 times in Dawn dish soap, still oily?
i'm having a un-happy hair day
~Jim

lilalong
July 13th, 2008, 09:07 AM
I never tried, but what about dissolving the motor oil in other oil?
Like tons of olive oil?

VanillaTresses
July 13th, 2008, 09:12 AM
I have had petroleum jelly in my hair before (awful) and here is what I had to do:

(1) try to wipe/soak as much out as possible with absorbent paper towels
(2) apply cornstarch powder to area of hair that has oil on it- this will soak up the oil
(3) wash with Dawn dish soap

Repeat steps 2 + 3 until all traces of the bad stuff are gone.

Deep condition with something trusted, your hair will need it after the Dawn.

Good luck!

Calista
July 13th, 2008, 09:12 AM
Oh yuck! I have no advice, Jim, but I feel for you.

Lady Verity
July 13th, 2008, 09:40 AM
Oh my word. You poor chap.

I don't have any advice, but accidents with motor oil seem to be a common thing in my vicinity. Both my boyfriend and his brother drank motor oil after their motorbike enthusiast dad decanted a load into coke bottles and left them in the kitchen without telling anyone.

:ale: <--- Mmm. Oily.

jojo
July 13th, 2008, 09:48 AM
Hi Jimbo,
oh what a dilemma, how about putting some shampoo straight on your hair, don't wet it first just let the shampoo break the oil, leave the shampoo on for a while then wash out.

Hope you get it sorted, could be worse, could be gloss paint like my daughter did when she was little!

Raederle
July 13th, 2008, 09:51 AM
This (http://www.ehow.com/how_2259266_remove-oil-from-hair-washing.html) sounds as though it might work. You might have to try it a few times, depending upon how oily your hair still is now. Good luck.

MoonCreature
July 13th, 2008, 09:58 AM
I would try to absorb the worst into papertowels/cornstarch and soak it in cooking oil (olive/sunflower). They are more fluent and easier washed away than motoroil, and oil dissolves oil.

So oil it down, let it sit, you can actually try "rinsing" with oil after you've let it sit for a while. Then wash with schampoo/a mild hand-dishwashing soap to get rid of the cookingoil. Repeat if needed. The cooking oil may take a while to get rid of too, but it's way easier than the motoroil...

Unofficial_Rose
July 13th, 2008, 10:05 AM
Oh my word. You poor chap.

I don't have any advice, but accidents with motor oil seem to be a common thing in my vicinity. Both my boyfriend and his brother drank motor oil after their motorbike enthusiast dad decanted a load into coke bottles and left them in the kitchen without telling anyone.

:ale: <--- Mmm. Oily.

Haha! :rollin:my mum always used to re-use containers for different substances. Catches out the unwary!

Good luck with your hair, hairJim. Quelle horreur! :scared:

Alun
July 13th, 2008, 10:25 AM
Help!
I changed the oil on my car today, and thought i moved the drain pan far enough back... i did just far enough to accidently lean back in it!
i washed my hair 3 times in Dawn dish soap, still oily?
i'm having a un-happy hair day
~Jim

Well, I've certainly got engine oil in my hair before. Mostly, though it just made it stink of oil, although that's bad enough. Not sure if I got as much oil in my hair as you seem to have done, though.

No suggestions, but the smell did seem to wear off.

Oskimosa
July 13th, 2008, 11:00 AM
GOJO (a product made from lanolin) always worked getting anything oil-based off my skin. It's what mechanics use to remove motor oil and all other car gunk. It doesn't smell bad either. It also seems to wash off well. If nothing else works for you, I'd try this.

justgreen
July 13th, 2008, 11:09 AM
I'd second the gojo, but then you'd still need to clarify your hair later to remove the Lanolin.

Gladtobemom
July 13th, 2008, 12:14 PM
Oddly enough, this might be a case where Dawn won't do as well as good old superfatted soap.

GOJO is a superfatted lanolin soap.

But it might work just as well to use some coldcream. Massage it in the offending area and then use a soap based cleansing . . . like pine tar soap or castile soap or even Ivory to get it out.

DH is always amazed at how cheap cold cream (which is just borax beeswax and oil) gets motor oil out of all those little lines on his hands and stuff.

Sorry it happened.

P.S. Sorry, I didn't realize GOJO had already been recommended. I should've read to the end.

kate46
July 13th, 2008, 03:29 PM
My DH once rescued a poor cat that was covered in thick black tar, he removed all of the tar with margarine! sounds whacky but it really did work well so it may be worth a try.

danacc
July 13th, 2008, 03:35 PM
I'm so sorry this happened to you!

I have no idea how "hair friendly" this is, but if you're running out of ideas you can try:
- Pour in a can of coke (not diet)
- Let dry
- Rinse, and wash with Dawn

This is a modified process from recommendations on how to remove a motor oil spill on a driveway, :shocked: so, um, take it with a grain of salt. (They recommended Tide for the washing step, but I wouldn't put anything that harsh in my hair. Coke just sounds ...sticky.) For what it's worth, they also recommend cat litter--the non-clumping kind--to soak up excess oil before you start. I assume by now you're past that stage, and I hope you already have it completely removed!

danacc
July 13th, 2008, 03:55 PM
Ok, I looked up Coke, and the stuff is definitely not innocent. In fact, it's quite acidic. DON'T let it dry on your hair. You can pour it in and leave it for a couple of MINUTES, then proceed with the Dawn.

I should have searched on it before posting, earlier. I was just thinking how soda spills happen, kids get it in there hair; but then, I always washed it out pretty quick.

Again--DON'T leave the Coke in your hair for more than a few MINUTES. Definitely don't let it dry!

mew
July 13th, 2008, 04:12 PM
The first thing that came to mind was butter, plain and simple. I am not sure why, I think my mum used it on me when i had something stupid stuck in my mane as a kid. It definitely works for getting sap out. Hm. I don't think i am helping am i...;)
Good luck nevertheless.

Missie
July 13th, 2008, 05:43 PM
what is the latest on your hair Jim ?

Magicknthenight
July 13th, 2008, 05:46 PM
i once had petroleum jelly in my hair also. I washed it soo many times but couldn't get it out. My grandma had told me it would help my scalp...and that was before i knew much about hair. WELL i guess i put way too much and it wouldn't get out. Luckily someone told me...Wash your hair 3 times with dawn and rinse with vinegar. It worked! i hope this helps in any way!

Riot Crrl
July 13th, 2008, 05:48 PM
I'm finding conflicting info on the pH of Coke. Different sites are saying it's anywhere from approximately the pH of plain vinegar, to the pH of the vinegar rinse I normally use.

I don't think the acidity would do anything unrecoverable. The sugar however would make it dry gross if left in.

hair jim
July 13th, 2008, 06:01 PM
whew, finally removed all the motor oil, and scalp oil from may hair. my hair feels like a broom. gonna try oilve oil over night. then deep treats tomorrow.
it took dawn and vinegar to remove it.
glad thats over.
~jimbo

Riot Crrl
July 13th, 2008, 06:06 PM
All's well that ends well! Don't worry about the moisture loss, I'm confident you can get it back in and it will be good as new.

TammySue
July 13th, 2008, 06:12 PM
The olive oil should help. Glad that you got the motor oil out! :D

ColoradoDreamer
July 13th, 2008, 07:35 PM
I wanted to read the entire thread before I answered, and I'm glad to hear that you managed to get all of the gunk out of your hair. I asked my DH for suggestions, and he suggested the orange-based cleaner that mechanics use to get grease off their hands.

My DH does a lot of car/motorcycle shadetree mechanic-type stuff and gets grease all over himself. Interestingly enough, he has (so far) managed to keep it out of his hair. Could be because he keeps his hair in a longish crew-cut. I so wish he'd let it grow. He has gorgeous curly hair.