Having the luxury of lawn appliances and cars is for the most part, a wonderful
part of being a homeowner. However, when those appliances leak oil all over the nice garage floor, the luxury is, well, not so nice.
But don’t worry, we at wiispray got you covered these eight trustworthy tactics for cleaning up oil will have your floor sparkling again in no time!
Method One: Detergent and Sponge
Materials Needed:
- Strong detergent
- Scrub brush
- Sponge
Method Two: Using an Actual Concrete Cleaner
Materials Needed:
- Concrete cleaner/ degreaser
- Scrub brush
Using a concrete-specific cleaner/ degreaser is a harsher way of removing oil from concrete. Pour the concrete degreaser onto the oil stain and scrub. While this method does not act as a complete “stain remover” it acts as a loosener to loosen up the oil from the concrete for easier removal.
Method Three: Make a Poultice
Materials Needed:
- Sawdust
- Paint thinner
Make a mixture of the sawdust and the paint thinner and spread a layer on your oil stain. The sawdust acts as an absorbent and the paint thinner breaks down the oil, all in order to mop up the oil stain on your driveway. Let the poultice dry and harden, and
scrape up once dry. Didn’t quite get all of it? That’s ok, this method might need to be repeated multiple times.
Method Four: Baking Soda
Materials Needed:
- Baking soda, yes, the one from your kitchen
- A hard brush
- Vinegar
- Vegetable oil
Baking soda isn’t just for the kitchen! Grab the baking soda and cover the area thoroughly with the powder. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the baking soda has soaked up some of the oil. Take the wet, hard brush and scrape up the baking soda, and rinse the area off with water. If that didn’t work, then grab the vinegar and do the same as you did with the baking soda. If that doesn’t do the trick- grab the vegetable oil, and let the oil counteract the oil!
Method Five: Coca-Cola
Materials Needed:
– Coca-Cola (also from the kitchen)
This technique has been used for decades, but its magic is still a mystery. Take two cans of Coca-Cola and pour them onto the oil stain. Let the soda work it’s magic for 24 hours, and rinse off with a hose. Repeat until the stain is gone.
Method Six: Stronger Chemicals
Materials Needed:
- WD-40
- Paper towels
- Dish soap
- Bristle brush
- Old rags
If the oil stain is still wet, now is the time to jump into action! Grab the paper towels and soak up as much of the oil as you can with the paper towels. Once you have done that, grab your trusty can of WD-40 and spray the area well with the chemical. Let sit for five minutes. Once it has been five minutes, grab the old rags and wipe it up. If that
wasn’t enough, put dish soap onto the area and scrub with a bristle brush. Pour boiling water onto the stain after, and repeat until the stain is gone.
Method Seven: Cats and Chemicals!
Materials Needed:
- Kitty Litter
- TSP
- Stiff steel wire brush
- Small shovel
Don’t forget personal protective gear such as masks, gloves, and safety glasses! Now that you have all of your materials, it’s time to get started. Take the TSP and pour a generous amount of the chemical onto your oil stain. Make sure not to get the chemical near your eyes or on your hands. Once the liquid has covered the stain, grab the steel wire brush and scrub the chemical into the stain. Do this for a few minutes, to hopefully scrub out the stain. Once done with scrubbing, pour the kitty litter onto the stain to soak up the remaining liquid. After the kitty litter has soaked up the rest of the TSP, take a small shovel to break up the kitty litter into scoopable amounts and promptly dispose of the used litter and TSP. There should be a noticeable difference in the oil stain. No difference? That’s OK! Repeat this method a few times or try another of the methods listed below.
Method Eight: Cats and Chemicals (again)
Materials Needed:
- Kitty Litter
- Drylok Etch
- Stiff steel wire brush
- Safety gear (again)
Drylok Etch is a chemical used to prepare concrete for other coatings, so naturally it works well for removing stains! Spray the Drylok Etch onto the oil-stained concrete and scrub with the stiff wire brush. This should make a noticeable difference in the stain. Try the above method first, before moving onto more serious chemicals, such as the Drylok Etch.
Disclaimer: It may take more than one round, or different methods to completely rid the stain from your concrete, but patience makes perfect, and experimenting with what works best for you is the way to success!