Buying Absorbent Materials

You have a variety of options for absorbent materials. For small stains, simply use baby powder or powdered talc. For larger stains, you’ll need a bulk material. One good choice is diatomaceous earth, sold as a filtering agent for swimming pools. It’s available from most pool supply stores.

Fuller’s Earth is a finely ground clay that also works well for making a paste. But it’s generally only available through chemical supply stores or mail order (), and at $9 per pound, it’s expensive.

Cat litter is also a good absorbent; however, it’s too coarse to make a good paste unless you crush it into a powder. The same goes for the absorbent materials that are designed to soak up oil spills.