Question about removing Oil stains from concrete

[notarubicon]

So here is my dilema, I live in military housing and I do alot of work on cars in the garage and have alot of oil stains on the floor. When I get ready to PCS the floor has to be free of oil stains or I have to pay to have a company come out and clean the floor. What products can I use to clean the floor myself

 

[c7fx]

simple green works well spray it down let it sit for a while. I use it on my drive when someone comes over with a leaking car.

 

[Dan Babb]

I've had luck using brake cleaner out on my concrete driveway. I've only had smaller drip stains, but it cleans them up.

Try starting with simple green...then hit the tough spots with brake cleaner if needed.

 

[Edger]

You probably need to soak out the stains first using a strong solvent like paint thinners (don't blow the place up) and covering the solvent with clay granules used for cats litter. Crush them on top of the solvent and reapply solvent on top carefully, if you can find a solvent that dissolves oil easily and is not flammable then use that. After a couple of hours the oil will come up into the clay. Sweep it up and then use simple green.

When you use a water-based cleaner it usually only cleans the top surface and the stains that have soaked in will come back up again after a few days. The simplest way is if you know when the inspection is just use the cleaner the day before.

 

[CNGsaves]

Real bad ones come clean pretty quick with gasoline scrubbing with wire brush and/or old rag (well ventilated though)!

Then follow up with water based degreaser in spray bottle (I get it by gallon from Home Depot then mix in old spray bottle).

Worst case scenario, power washer with some degreaser soak first will get rid of the worst stains you possibly could have.

Finally, once it's clean, keep it clean with old diehard cardboard! Drop by an appliance store and they will surely give you a few sheets to keep your floor clean. Good luck!

 

[c7fx]

Real bad ones come clean pretty quick with gasoline scrubbing with wire brush and/or old rag (well ventilated though)!

Then follow up with water based degreaser in spray bottle (I get it by gallon from Home Depot then mix in old spray bottle).

Worst case scenario, power washer with some degreaser soak first will get rid of the worst stains you possibly could have.

Finally, once it's clean, keep it clean with old diehard cardboard! Drop by an appliance store and they will surely give you a few sheets to keep your floor clean. Good luck!

I would use WD40 before gasoline...in fact I wouldn't use gas at all in a garage.

 

[Shea]

I can vouch for the kitty litter and solvent method. It works quite well. When you crush it, just grind it up on top of the stain using the soles of your shoes. Covering it up with plastic helps it to absorb quicker as well.

 

[c4cruiser]

Simple Green has a product called "Surface Prep" and it can usually be found at paint stores like Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore. It runs about $15 for a gallon jug. Use the Kitty Litter or some similar cat box stuff and some solvent first to remove any moist oil or grease. I would not use gasoline at all.

Then mix the Surface Prep with an equal amount of water and flood the stained area. Let it sit for a few minutes and then brush with a stiff bristle brush. Rinse well and repeat.

 

[lessersivad]

Mineral spirits coating the stained area.

Floor-dri (kitty litter) over the mineral spirits.

Walk away and let sit overnight.

Sweep up floor-dri.

Repeat IF needed.

The great thing about this method is you can re-use the floor-dri afterwards.

I used to apply laquer thinner but i was out of it one time. I tried the mineral spirits and I think it works better, being it don't evaporate near as fast.

 

[drinkmoresake]

For tough stains there is a great product called "Pour-n-Restore". Pour it on the stain and allow it to dry to a powder, which pulls up the stain. Then you just sweep the powder up. Did wonders on my floor prior to coating with epoxy

 

[Garage Flooring]

Pour N Restore makes two products. We sent some of the Curb appeal to a member for free and got a nice review. I would use the Curb Appeal product first and then use the Pour N Restore Product over any stubborn stains.

We had a short blog post about cleaning a garage floor as well

 

[MikeYC]

bEER METHOD....
Six pack of Beer and a have of dozen lemons and limes. Cut Lemons into wheels and place over oil stains, Cut limes into wedges and insert into beer. Drink Beer and enjoy life. Pretty soon you wont give a **** about the oil stains on the floor.

No, seriously. I have done 8 PCS moves in 23 years of service. Degreaser and a wire brush are a good way to do it. MEK also will work but plan a trip away prior to use cause the vapors are strong and CINCHOUSE wont like the smell.

 

[RPH]

Powder soap for the clothes washer. Pour on, grind in let sit. Wash off later. Works great.

 

[87FoRunner]

Powder soap for the clothes washer. Pour on, grind in let sit. Wash off later. Works great.

I use janky liquid detergent. Mixed with a little cheap dish soap works wonders.

If it's a big spill I'll soak it up with oil dry/kitty litter first. I find oil dry has more dust in it to absorb in the "pores"

 

[Garage Flooring]

I have seen them use TIDE at NASCAR races...

 

[AlphaGarage]

If you can find the real TSP, that mixed in hot water works well. The cat litter also does a good job.

We also have a oil eating enzyme for the really tough stains. Takes a few days, but works wonders.

Not sure what your final finish will be, but it might be that you don't need to worry too much about this. If water sprinkled on the trouble area is absorbed at the same rate as water sprinkled on a clean area then it's probably good to go for the primer (that's the test we recommend for our BondTite 1101 epoxy primer). But check with your contractor to confirm.