In a model experiment on gray forest soils of the Botanical Garden of Irkutsk (Eastern Siberia), the content of petroleum products and the intensity of microbial respiration were determined in order to further their remediation. The experiments were carried out in laboratory conditions using oil (50, 150 and 300 ml/kg) and diesel fuel (50, 150 and 300 ml/kg) as a pollutant. To purify petroleum products, the samples were washed with a Tween 80 solution at a concentration of 5 g/l, which caused a decrease in toxic substances due to the leaching of oily films from the soil surface. As a result of washing with Twin 80, the release of carbon dioxide increased, due to the partial restoration of the initial characteristics of the soil during the cleaning process.