Cleaning up the mess...

[Jey]

So, I just bought a new-to-me-home, and the previous owner was apparently really lazy.

I know he had a boat, and apparently a lot of milk crates full of motor oil.

The oil is all over the garage floor in the one corner, and when we bought the house, it had floor dry on it.

It had been there a while.

Whats the best way to cut the oil off the floor? Just a simple power wash and engine degreaser okay for concrete?

Any ideas...don't wanna ruin the floor.

Thanks

 

[ba614]

back when I was a kid working in service stations we used Tide ... wet the floor - sprinkle a coat of tide all over the floor - scrub with a broom - rince - squeegy - repeat until clean ... on bad places scrub then let it sit awhile then scrub somemore - keep it wet - add more Tide as nessessary ... it's hard work but does a good job ...

 

[thefairlaneman]

I assume its a real mess. First sweep it clean and apply some more oil dry(kitties litter will do) and work in into the stains. Then sweep it clean and then try the tide.You may need to use a dark cement stain to blend in the dark oil stain area if you cant get it all out.

 

[Bear]

Back when I worked in a garage/station we cleaned the floor with solvent - scrubbed it around with push broom and the then used rice hulls(kitty litter) to absorb the solvent. Comes out looking the concrete was bleached clean.

 

[Junkman]

Back in the early 1960's, we used to pour gasoline on the floor and push it around with a broom. I wouldn't suggest that to anyone, but the previous comments brought back old memories.....

 

[V-10 Killer]

Please be careful, I had a few uncles die (30+ years ago) by cleaning their garage floor with solvent. They forgot to blow out the pilot light on the hot water heater in the shop. I can't even imagine dieing like that.

 

[Bear]

Ouch - I should have thought more about the safety side of the question. It was a really big shop we did small areas at a time and on days we could have the doors open on both ends. (and of course 40yrs. ago there were very few pilot lights here in the northwest)

 

[kbs2244]

Once you get the heavy stuff off I have had pretty good luck with a powder type detergent to get out the stain that has soaked in.
Wet down the area and sprinkle the detergent on it nice and thick. Keep it damp for a few days. This lets the soap soak down and into the concrete.
The trick is to not be in a hurry. Let it work its way in.

 

[russlaferrera]

They make a concrete cleaner for garage floors. Try Lowes, Home Depot etc. I think Zep is the manufacture of one.

 

[shocksystems]

Please be careful, I had a few uncles die (30+ years ago) by cleaning their garage floor with solvent. They forgot to blow out the pilot light on the hot water heater in the shop. I can't even imagine dieing like that.

V-10 that is a very good reminder. When I was reading this thread I did not even think of that. I know there was a terrible accident here in Mass a few years ago with a crew refinishing hard wood floors, it was very combustible and they perished in the explosion. Sorry about your uncles. Things like that stay with a family forever.

Jim

 

[Jey]

Thanks for all the advice,

I'm not worried about the solvents catching a blaze, the only thing in the garage right now is my lawn mower and the daily drivers, so i don't have much of anything to start a spark.


I put some powder diturgent on there this weekend, and left it a little wet, tonight i am going to try scrubbing it a lot with a hand scrub brush, and see where it gets me.

If that doesn't work, i will try the zep floor cleaner, as I've saw it before somewhere, and it seems sweet with the lightening bolt and all

Thanks for the advice, i normally clean up anything on my own floor, but the previous owner was in a hurry when they moved out (got foreclosed on...) so... it's probably been there a year.


Thanks,