What to Do If You Spill It

Xylol (xylene) spills happen, and because it is flammable and its vapors are harmful, a calm, quick response matters more than it would with most household liquids. What you do depends mostly on size: a splash on the bench is a minor job, while a large or spreading spill is a hazard that may need help. Here is how to handle each.

Before anything else, protect yourself and kill the obvious dangers:

– Put out flames and switch off anything that sparks, since xylol vapor can ignite from across the room.
– Open doors and windows and get air moving.
– Put on chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection before you touch it.

For a small spill, a cup or so on a hard surface:

– Cover it with an absorbent, cat litter, sand, or a spill pad, and let it soak up the liquid.
– Scoop the used absorbent into a sealable, labeled container.
– Wipe the area, ventilate until the smell is gone, and set the waste aside for hazardous-waste disposal.

For a large spill, or any spill near a drain, heat, or ignition source:

– Stop the source if you can do it safely, then leave the area and keep others out.
– Do not let it reach a drain, since xylol must never enter the sewer.
– If it is large, spreading, or you start to feel dizzy, treat it as an emergency and call for help rather than tackling it alone.

Whatever the size, never wash xylol away with water down a drain, and never sweep or vacuum with a standard vacuum, whose motor can spark. Ventilate well afterward, since vapor lingers, and dispose of every soaked material as hazardous waste. When in doubt about scale, err toward evacuation and help; a spill is never worth an injury or a fire.