Oil stains are almost inevitable on garage floors. Here are a few easy methods for soaking up these concrete blemishes.
There are good reasons for getting rid of oil on your garage floor. It not only looks messy, but the oil can get tracked into the house by you, your family members and pets. And if you're striving to create and maintain a healthy home, oil and its toxins are the last thing you want coating your floors, especially if you have small children.
Luckily, you can use these three everyday materials to soak up oil on your garage floor.
1. Kitty Litter
If you have unused kitty litter on hand, you're in luck. If you need to go out and buy some, even the cheapest brand will do.
To begin, cover the oil or oil stain with a heavy coating of litter. (How much depends on the amount of oil present.) A thick coating takes more; a slight sheen takes less.
Once there is enough material down to absorb the oil, do a dance on top of the area. That's right: Use the bottom of your sturdy shoes (not expensive Italian sandals; old sneakers are more like it!) to ground the litter into the floor.
When you're done, sweep up the litter. The oil stain just be gone -- or at least much more subtle.
2. Baking Soda
Is there anything this
miracle product cannot do?
For oil stains, wet the area a little first, and then sprinkle it liberally with baking soda. Let it sit for a while while you get a pot of water up to a boil.
Being careful not to burn or scald yourself, pour some hot water onto the baking soda. Let it cool a little, and then scrub the area with a
stiff bristle brush (not a wire brush, it will scratch the concrete). Repeat as necessary, and rinse until the oil stain is a dim memory.
3. Dawn Dishwashing Soap
Dawn dish soap is what many wildlife experts use to
remove oil from birds and turtles who fall victim to disasters like the
Gulf oil spill. That says a lot about its grease-cutting properties.
For your garage floor, wet the oiled area just a bit, squirt on some Dawn and use a stiff brush to work the soap into the floor. Rinse with water.
Truth be told, there are dozens of other tricks people try to remove oil from concrete. Here are a few:
• Some people swear by spraying WD-40 lubricant on the floor and then wiping it up.
• Many commercial chemical products are available.
•
Oven cleaner is said to work. And this does make sense as grease is what oven cleaners clean best.
•
Carburetor cleaner is a product said to remove stains after the oil is lifted.
•
Carpet cleaner and hot water work for some.
But what we really want to know is -- what's your secret for getting oil out of concrete?
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Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)
The previous owner of my home used a gas grill on the concrete patio and left a big grease/oil stain, I assume from chicken or beef, maybe even pork. I am wondering if any of these solutions might work on that. Any thoughts?
Replyi tell how u get rid of the stain, buy some year round concrete paint and paint the damn thing! no gas no kitty litter, or expensive dawn soap, or baking soda get a paint roller and pan and do some work no wonder this country is so fat everyone is trying to do it the easy way.
Reply(Mike Valentin 6-19-2010 @7:32PM). This persons comment screams for a kick-back He states
"do some work no wonder this country is so fat everyone is trying to do it the easy way" Some where he overlooks the objective: (How to) "Remove Oil Stains From a Garage Floor. Every comment given, involves effort to remove the stain and end up with the oil stain removed leaving a clean surface. The Key word being EFFORT.) Just painting over it will accomplish nothing as the oil serves as a barrier to the paint and the base surface. If his approach is to paint over, and he seems to speak with authority, I'll wager his 'painted over" patch jobs make for a camouflauge surface."buy some year round concrete paint and paint the damn thing!" concrete paint is much more costly than all the materials given in the comments, even the "fresh dog poop" suggested by Roberto Flambe (6-19-2010 @7:05PM) cost less, unless you have to go buy the pooch first. Perhaps throwing dirt on the concrete and sweep it up at a later date. Reminiscent of driving down a country lane.
Call BP ceo as----e Tony ! He's got it under control...right????
ReplyI have found that Murphy's Oil Soap cuts most oil or grease spots on clothes before washing, on a fresh stain, never washed or put through a heated dryer. I would think that it would cut the grease spots on a garage floor after the grease has been soaked up with Kitty liter or Baking soda first. (only use the thick or jelled form of Murphy's) Works on clothes with fat base stains and lukewarm water, NOT hot!
Reply