Oil stains on floor

[vandezand]

I live in an apartment with an attached garage. I've got oil stains on the floor from doing oil changes and was wondering what I could do to remove them?

 

[Cadillac fan]

For me something like a scourer or scrubbing brush works best. I use hot water with dishwashing detergent (anything that is really good for grease) and scrub the hell out of the stains until they go away.

 

[Nikon_RH50]

Dawn dishwashing liquid in bucket of water and deck brush(so I don't have to get on my knees to brush.

 

[wrench409]

At ACE Hardware (or other stores) there's a product called Pour-N-Restore.

http://www.pour-n-restore.com/

Works fantastic.

The driveway under my Dodge Caravan was a major oil slick. Car was totaled so the replacement did not have a Mitsubishi 3.0l engine.

My driveway is normal again.
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[gregtwojeeps]

Lots of ideas already but I just lay powdered Tide detergent on mine. You will always see oil stains embedded in concrete somewhat, oil stain removers just lessens the visual impact when soaking them up best we can. jmo

 

[wrench409]

Pour-N-Restore removes all traces from deep down soaked spots.

JMHO.


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[cat-mechanic]

I've had good luck with mineral spirits and kitty litter. Pour the spirits onto the stain, then cover with kitty litter and work the litter into the stain to help clean it.

 

[vandezand]

There are some good ideas here. Thanks guys

 

[nehog]

Dawn dishwashing liquid in bucket of water and deck brush(so I don't have to get on my knees to brush.

Make that water as hot as possible.

 

[Sonorous]

kitty litter

+1 - I have a few bags of oil dry or whatever it's called. Got them on sale for cheap. It's basically just cat litter without the extra ****. One bay of the garage is covered in it right now from changing changing 100+ gallons of fluids on a few Kubotas. Each tractor has close to 15 drain plugs and I don't have a pump for 5 gallon pails - mistakes happen. I need to get a form-a-filter and pump I guess...

Anyways, I usually have a little 'working' pile that I can sweep onto whatever mess I happen to make.

 

[dladcock]

Had an Uncle that was a chemist, water treatment and testing, I think. He had a lot of cures for different problems. He always told me that to remove oil based stains you needed to re-liquefy the oil and "lift" or absorb the molecules to the surface. I had a nice, unfinished wood floor that had oil stains all over. We followed Unc's directions, using Dawn, and scrubbed the solution into the stains, placed some heavy bath towels on the spots and weighted them down with cinder blocks until dry. BOOM! It worked! Clean as a whistle.

So, in my experience, the mechanical exercise is standardized, even the suggestions here follow the same basic method. The solvents and absorbent can vary widely depending on the stain source.

I like that Pour-n-Restore product, that looks like a genie in bottle. Wouldn't mind giving that a shot sometime.

dla

 

[theoldwizard1]

Greased Lightening or Drive Up. Straight (not diluted). Scrub in (lightly) with a push broom. Let dry over night. Rinse well. Let dry. Repeat if necessary.

 

[WVBrady]

Had an Uncle that was a chemist, water treatment and testing, I think. He had a lot of cures for different problems. He always told me that to remove oil based stains you needed to re-liquefy the oil and "lift" or absorb the molecules to the surface. I had a nice, unfinished wood floor that had oil stains all over. We followed Unc's directions, using Dawn, and scrubbed the solution into the stains, placed some heavy bath towels on the spots and weighted them down with cinder blocks until dry. BOOM! It worked! Clean as a whistle...

How did you get the oil stains out of the towels?

 

[dladcock]

How did you get the oil stains out of the towels?

Washed them.

They already had Dawn in them. AND...... If I happen to mess up the good towels, I get the towels and the business.

dla

 

[Del Swanson]

I've used oil-dry, dry, and rubbed it in with a boot or stiff broom until it turns into a powder. It takes 95% of the stain out.

 

[Hghgrad]

I usually pour some gas in them, then cover with kitty litter. Works pretty well.

 

[yhprum]

Had an Uncle that was a chemist, water treatment and testing, I think. He had a lot of cures for different problems. He always told me that to remove oil based stains you needed to re-liquefy the oil and "lift" or absorb the molecules to the surface. I had a nice, unfinished wood floor that had oil stains all over. We followed Unc's directions, using Dawn, and scrubbed the solution into the stains, placed some heavy bath towels on the spots and weighted them down with cinder blocks until dry. BOOM! It worked! Clean as a whistle.

So, in my experience, the mechanical exercise is standardized, even the suggestions here follow the same basic method. The solvents and absorbent can vary widely depending on the stain source.

I like that Pour-n-Restore product, that looks like a genie in bottle. Wouldn't mind giving that a shot sometime.

dla

After reading this, I tried a variation of this idea on oil stained concrete. Mixed some diswashing detergent (ldawn) about 50/50 with water. poured it on the stain. put about three layers of paper towel down on top of the puddle, and poured some more water on itop of the paer towels. After a few days in the shade, it lifted quite a bit of the oil out of the concrete and deposited it in the paper towel.

 

[jurezgez]

You will always see oil stains embedded in concrete somewhat

 

[wrench409]

Had an Uncle that was a chemist, water treatment and testing, I think. He had a lot of cures for different problems. He always told me that to remove oil based stains you needed to re-liquefy the oil and "lift" or absorb the molecules to the surface. I had a nice, unfinished wood floor that had oil stains all over. We followed Unc's directions, using Dawn, and scrubbed the solution into the stains, placed some heavy bath towels on the spots and weighted them down with cinder blocks until dry. BOOM! It worked! Clean as a whistle.

So, in my experience, the mechanical exercise is standardized, even the suggestions here follow the same basic method. The solvents and absorbent can vary widely depending on the stain source.

I like that Pour-n-Restore product, that looks like a genie in bottle. Wouldn't mind giving that a shot sometime.

dla

I'll keep that wood / oil stain hint in mind! Dawn has a great following for various uses.

I knocked my oil drain pan over in my garage last year. Two cars worth of the blackest oil you can imagine hit the floor. I used the stuff I recommended and there's no trace of the stain any longer.


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[RVDan]

Easy-off oven cleaner

 

[Bobf]

I have to agree with Hghgrad, gas works best. I tried all kinds of things on the concrete driveway into the garage where my leakers park. Nothing worked rerally well and required considerable effort. I was at a friend shop with two outdoor lifts for oil/trans fluid changes etc. The concrete under the hoists looked almost new. I asked what he used and he said the only thing that works great is gasoline and oil absorbent after. He sweeps it up and puts it in a barrel and uses it again, several times. I tried it at home and it really did work best. YES, it is obviously dangerous, but then so is driving

 

[CodeRedZ]

Any thoughts on a vertical stain? ;-)

 

[RickP]

Lots of ideas in this recent thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=264403

 

[jaye944]

see my sig

I live in an apartment with an attached garage. I've got oil stains on the floor from doing oil changes and was wondering what I could do to remove them?