Abstract: In a method for in situ cleanup of soil contaminated with a pollutant, a micro-emulsion containing an oil component with triglycerides, or essential oils or fatty acid esters or mixtures thereof, and a surfactant component of one or more branched or multi-chain anionic surfactants is used for pollutant extraction. The extraction of pollutant from the contaminated soil is carried out at a temperature range of 0° C. and 200 ° C. The oil component of the micro-emulsion contains one or more triglycerides or fatty acid esters in amounts ≧5% by weight and less than 50% by weight, one or more dialkyl sulfosuccinic acid compounds as an anionic surfactant, and one or more branched, multi-chain or multi-chain branched non-ionic surfactants. The anionic and non-ionic surfactants are present in the micro-emulsion in an amount of ≦30% by weight.