how to clean oily black sand cons?

[simbad42]

hello all, it's been a while since my last post I'm almost done with all my d.u.i classes and have my license back so i have been going out digging almost every weekend for the last month or so. on this last trip down to east fork san gabriel i decided to go up to some of the culverts and dig out the heavies in the ridges, i did a test pan and it is loaded with 200+ mesh gold, it is also loaded with lots of road/car oil from the drought and recent rain.

my thoughts on how to not coat my clean up gear in oil is to soak and shake the cons with dish soap and water refilling the water and switching it till i stop seeing oil floating on the top.

questions.
how would you guys clean up the culvert sand, if you wouldn't worry about it why?
any tips and or past experience in the matter would be a great help.

Thanks
-simbad42

 

[KevinInColorado]

Great story Dave...would test my patience though if it was me!

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Great story Dave...would test my patience though if it was me!

Yea, but you could just let it sit while you worked all those other honey holes around Denver. There is plenty of areas to keep you busy until the earthworms did their part.

 

[Doug Watson]

Automatic dishwasher soap.