Release of residual aviation gasoline saturation from field contaminated sandy aquifer material was investigated using six soil columns. Addition of a biodegradable non-ionic surfactant (5g/L) to the flushing solution produced an immediate increase in concentrations of methylated alkanes which declined over 20 pore volumes to below initial levels. 15g/L of surfactant produced higher effluent concentrations over 6 pore volumes. Adding 50% (v/v) 2-propanol caused a spike release of contaminants in less than 2 pore volumes. Methanol at 50% released contaminants at fairly low concentrations over 30 pore volumes. At 20% neither alcohol produced much increase in effluent concentrations. Combination of 20% 2-propanol and 5g/L Triton X-100 did not improve the performance of surfactant alone. Soil analysis showed more than 96% of the residual saturation was removed in all six columns. Solvophobic theory, including the effects of reduction in interfacial surface tension, predicted the relative results of both concentrations of alcohols.