Primarily designed for automotive and industrial applications, sorbents can also make work environments of all types safer and cleaner. Available in forms like granules, tubes and pads, sorbents soak up spills from water and grease to hazardous substances.

Consider whether you want to find sorbents to absorb, clean or contain spills. Then, determine the properties and sizes of the spills you deal with most, to select the appropriate product from a sorbents list and try to:

1. Keep granular sorbents on the premises to soak up materials like oil, bleach or coolant.

2. Order universal or specialty sorbents in pad or roll form to absorb and clean spills of all types.

3. Find sorbents in booms, socks and pillows to contain large puddles quickly.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use granular sorbents to absorb spills before sweeping them up for disposal

Keep multi-purpose granular sorbents on hand to soak up fluid spills like bleach or more viscous ones like grease. Most sorbents of this type also absorb odors. Sweep or vacuum up the material before incinerating or disposing of it for simple clean up.

I recommend: Uline Shipping Supplies offers bags and pails of Oil-Dri granular sorbents designed to absorb coolants, grease, water and other spills while minimizing dust, and with quantity discounts available. Get a range of granular sorbents through Specialty Oil Sorbents. Available products include multi-purpose sorbents and versions created with corn cob or silica- and asbestos-free Eco Dri.

Buy pad or roll sorbents to soak up small leaks or widespread spills

Soak up spills, machine leaks and slow drips with absorbent pads and rolls that act like common sponges. Use heavy weight pads for big spills or lightweight pads for small, everyday messes. Also, keep some oil-only and hazmat sorbents on hand in the event of spilled acids, bases or questionable liquids.

I recommend: New Pig is a sorbents provider offering universal and oil-only mat pads and rolls for spills of all sizes. Choose products in a variety of weights designed to absorb spills and catch drips, leaks and overspray. Interstate Products offers oil-only, universal and hazmat sorbent pads and rolls. Click on the specific product to determine its absorption capacities.

Get boom, sock and pillow sorbents, if you're often grappling with fast-spreading spills

Encircle spills with sorbent socks, booms and pillows that are quick and easy to position. The sorbents prevent liquids from spreading while soaking the spills up for simple clean up and disposal. Also, consider wrapping socks or booms around slow-leaking equipment to contain the drips.

I recommend: Allied Electronics offers 3M Maintenance Sorbents in booms and pillows to surround and absorb spills. The dust-free products are available in a variety of lengths and sizes and change color when you need to remove them. Hippo Industries distributes universal sorbent socks filled with polypropylene or corncob filler.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Contact your local waste management division for additional sorbents information and legal guidelines for disposing of used sorbents properly. While you can treat many sorbents as solid waste if the liquids they contain are no longer free flowing, you may need to deliver them to a hazardous waste facility, if they fall into the hazardous material category.