How to Remove Oil Stains from Concrete
Whether they're in your driveway, garage, or another area, oil stains can be a fact of life in any space where you do maintenance on vehicles or other equipment. While they can be unsightly and difficult to remove, by using certain methods you can get oil out of your concrete. In many cases, stains can be removed completely to restore the area to its former clean appearance. Here are some methods for how to remove oil stains from concrete.
Why You Should Remove Stains
It can sometimes be tempting to simply leave oil stains alone, especially if they are on your garage floor or another area that most people will never take too close of a look at. While it can take a bit of work to remove oil stains, it can be a worthwhile task. If left alone, oil can be damaging to your concrete, breaking down the sealant or finish on the top layer and causing your concrete to eventually break down sooner than it otherwise would’ve. While sometimes it isn’t convenient to clean up oil stains immediately, it can be better on your concrete as well as being easier on you to get to start treating them as soon as you can.
How to Remove Oil Stains from Concrete
1. Removing Stains with Soap
While it may take a little more than your average soapy sponge, certain soaps can actually be highly effective at getting oil stains out of concrete floors and other areas. Removing oil stains from concrete with soap can require concentrated amounts. Most soaps are commonly used in a diluted form for most day to day tasks, but you’ll likely need something stronger for tough oil stains, especially if they’ve been left to soak in the concrete for a while. As with most cleaning tasks, you should expect to put a fair amount of elbow grease into the oil removal process. To start out, you should try and soak up as much of the spilled oil as you can by laying out rags or paper towels on the area. Once you’ve soaked up as much as you can, you should pour the concentrated soap on the area and start scrubbing with a stiff brush. After scrubbing, rinse the area with water to finish the process.
2. Removing Stains with Litter
A tried and true method for oil removal can be to use cat litter. Cat litter is super absorbent and can be a great substance to use to soak up messy stains. An inexpensive way to get rid of stains, this method can be simple to do, but it may take several tries and some work on your part to get all of the oil completely out. To start getting oil up out of your concrete with cat litter, simply pour some of it over the stain and work it into the area by stepping on it or mashing it down another way. Leave the litter alone for at least an hour before sweeping or vacuuming it away. If some oil still remains you can repeat the process as many times as needed.
A variation on using cat litter to clean up oil that may be more effective in some cases can be done by creating a poultice from the cat litter and a substance that will work as a thinning agent, such as paint thinner and applying it to the stain. You should then cover the stain with plastic wrap or something similar and leave it to sit for at least several hours. The mixture should eventually leech the oil right out the concrete, cleaning up the mess and leaving you with just some sweeping to do to finish cleaning up. If you don’t want to use cat litter, sawdust can be a good substitute that should give you similar results.
3. Other Ways to Remove Stains
One of the most effective ways to remove oil stains is to use a dedicated oil absorbent, which can be made of small pebbles like kitty litter or in the form of a liner. These products will come with instructions on how to use them. If you follow the instructions with one of these products, you’ll be using a compound specially formulated for absorbing oil.
Even if you don’t think either of the methods listed above will work for you, there are still ways you can get rid of oil stains. Another way to remove oil from concrete can be with oil-eating microorganisms. It may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but you can actually buy oil removers that use single-celled organisms to consume the oil, leaving behind a residue that can easily be wiped up once the oil is eaten away.
There are also other products you can use, such as detergents and degreasers. There should be a wide variety of brands with different strengths available. While products made to remove oil stains may require a special trip to the store or online order to acquire, they can be a great solution to try, especially if other measures haven’t been working for you.
Preventing Future Stains
When it comes to oil stains, prevention can be the best policy and can save you lots of hassle by removing the need for you to clean up stains in the first place. While you may already have to deal with some existing stains, you can still work to prevent more from occurring during future maintenance activities that involve oil. One of the easiest ways to do this can be to save cardboard boxes so that you can lay sheets of cardboard under your work area to soak up any oil that may spill.
Cleaning Up Oil
As you start thinking about how to get oil stains off your driveway, it can be a good idea to keep in mind that even if one method doesn’t work, another one may be effective and it can be worth it to keep trying. When left untreated, oil can eventually lead to problems with your concrete that could end up being expensive, but by cleaning up oil as soon as you can you can prevent this from happening. Making oil clean up a part of your regular maintenance routine can be a great way to make sure it gets done. There are a lot of products available that can make the job easier and you should be able to find a method that works great for you. Start looking for the supplies you need to get the job done as quickly and easily as possible.
