Getting Oil Off My Garage Floor

[SilverShark96]

Does anybody have any tricks of the trade for this? My bike has been leaking all over, and I'm ready to fix the leaks, along with cleaning up the garage floor. I heard a little rumor that coca cola poured on it and sitting for a little while, and then scrubbed, will get it off.

Any ideas? Suggestions? Advice? Thanks.

 

[ghnl]

I have poured some paint thinner over an oil stain, let it soak in for a few minutes then spread kitty litter over the wet area, ground it in with my shoe and swept it up. 99% gone.

 

[35mastr]

Zep Industrial Purple. Will get it out no problem.

 

[Red Green]

I just use some shop dry from Napa and grind it in a bit with my shoe.

 

[tewsonfam]

Will any of these substances that have been suggested not be good to use if I plan on etching/staining my garage floor? The concrete has to be perfectly cleaned with no residuals, so that the chemical reaction will be somewhat predictable and penetrable.

kt

 

[RaceDeck1]

Try this
Clean it really well then take a few cups full of OXYCLEAN and add some water to make it a paste....Take the paste and spread it over the oil stains and it should get 99.9 % removed....
We do it in our driveway all the time...Obviously not in the RaceDeck garage

 

[ghnl]

Sell the Harley & buy a Honda?

 

[rakesdl]

Sell the Harley & buy a Honda?

(But True)

 

[gorilla]

Sprinkle baby powder on it, let it soak up the oil, sweep up the baby powder and repeat as needed. This is cheap to try and almost always works.

 

[benjamming]

you can try dishwashing detergent, brake fluid, Oil Flo Safety Solvent from Titan Labs, amongst many others.

 

[MikeYC]

Go to the store and get a cold six pack of a lite beer ( ie... Coors Light, Keystone Light, Corona Light) and three lemons and two limes. Slice the lemons into rings and the limes into wedges. Place the lemon rings on the oil spots sprinkle the topside of the lemon with salt and use as coaster for your Lite Beer cocktail with Lime wedge infusion.

Works great!!!

 

[SilverShark96]

Sell the Harley & buy a Honda?

That's hilarious, man. Genuinely funny!

Some good advice here. I'll get back with results. Maybe a "Before" and "After" picture.

 

[jonny o]

Try this
Clean it really well then take a few cups full of OXYCLEAN and add some water to make it a paste....Take the paste and spread it over the oil stains and it should get 99.9 % removed....
We do it in our driveway all the time...Obviously not in the RaceDeck garage

I do almost the same with great results...
Generic oxyshit from the dollar store and apply dry (if it's a puddle) and kick it in.
Otherwise, I do just as rd recommended.

 

[tcianci]

I am in the camp that recommends, the detergents, absorbents and the beer. Solvents will thin the offending material and make it easier for it to penetrate the surface even deeper. While this gives the appearance of removing the stain (and of course it will take some of the stuff off), you will often see the stain re-appear because the remaining contaminant will re-disperse in the concrete. Detergents are able to break up grease type substances and keep them suspended in the wash water, allowing lots of the stain to be washed away. The absorbing powder approach works on the same principal as the substance re-dispersing in a solvent cleaned concrete floor, the difference is that the absorbent material can be swept away and the contaminant goes along with it.
The beer serves to make you a little less critical of a stain that won't die.

 

[CodeRedZ]

what about old oil stains? We tried acid in my parents garage with some success but some of the old stains are still there, I also need to clean up some spots in my garage from my tenant who lived there for 2 years

 

[AlphaGarage]

Acid isn't very effective on petroleum.

What's your goal? Do you want to prep the floor to coat it, or to clean it up and leave it as is?

 

[CodeRedZ]

Acid isn't very effective on petroleum.

What's your goal? Do you want to prep the floor to coat it, or to clean it up and leave it as is?

well would prefer to coat but it I can't clean it up I was considering some of the vinyl tiling at least in my garage

 

[Paxton Dan]

Im with ^ That guy..

Old oil stains, Im looking to coat it with the rustoleum stuff or tile...

 

[koditten]

I use plain old walmart starting fluid (either). Spray it on good and wet. Before it all evaporates toss a clean shop rag on it and step on it. The cotton rag will pull the remaining starting fluid and stain up. Best 99 cent clean up methode I know.

 

[Paxton Dan]

^ Really for old stains too?

This site really has me looking forward to getting my shops in shape!

 

[HOTFR8]

In another thread / topic I was told to try -
oven cleaner and water for the oil stains I use it all the time in my shed and it works a treat .

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Zep Industrial Purple. Will get it out no problem.

Yup. Splash it on, get on it by hand with a hard scrub brush and then flood it clean with water. Rinse and repeat if necessary.

Side note, I've done this a lot and if it washes off onto your grass it doesn't seem to hurt anything as long as you dilute it with plenty of water.

 

[Paxton Dan]

great, sounds like Im going to be busy!

 

[Rickochet]

Did it work?

 

[Teken]

Thanks for all the cheap tips guys! I will try some of the suggestions this summer hopefully it isnt too late to remove the one's on the drive way!

The inside pad has a few drops here and there, but I am covering it over with G-Floor. Even though its not visable to the human eye, I know it's there so I want to get rid of it as much as possible.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[nolatoolguy]

Idk man about all those, tell me witch ones work.


I personally think hay a garge is a garge its meant to be worked in its not a show room.

However if you would like to get those oil stains off the floor my best guess would be a preasure washer or concrete scariefer

 

[Scout Driver]

Mean Green degreaser works on older stains. I believe its an alkaline solution, not an acid.

 

[HOTFR8]

Mean Green degreaser works on older stains. I believe its an alkaline solution, not an acid.

I have some serious stains. I must see what I can find similar to that to remove them.