Remove Oil Stains from Your Garage or Driveway

One of the most unsightly but sometimes unavoidable things to have is an oil stain on your driveway or in your garage. There are many methods to remove those oil stains. One of the most common methods is by using cat litter.

Using Cat Litter

I have seen people buy cat litter at all times of the year, and not have a cat at all. They are trying to get rid of oil stains on their driveway or out of their garages. Make sure the cat litter you purchase is clay based or you will be wasting your money. The clay acts as an absorber which will slowly draw out the oil in your concrete. This is not an overnight procedure.

You should use a mild soap in with some hot or warm water and a non-abrasive scrub brush. Mix the soap in with the water in a two to five gallon bucket, and dip the brush into the mixture. Scrub the oil stained area well. Mop up the area with old rags or disposable towels. Do make sure you dispose of the rags or towels in concordance with your city laws.

Sprinkle on the cat litter until you have about a half inch thick layer all over the oil stain. Spread it out a few inches on past the stain for good measure. This allows more area for the oil to soak out to from the concrete. Leave the cat litter there for at least two days. Go back and check a small area to see how well the oil is being absorbed.

You may not really notice much of a difference after two days, but an additional day or two will be of more benefit. This all depends on how long the oil stain had been there. After four days, remove the cat litter and clean the area again with soap and water as mentioned before. It may take a while to remove that old oil stain with this back and forth procedure, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Sand or Dirt

Another method to try is by using sand instead of cat litter. You still need to clean the area with water and soap before applying the sand. Make sure the concrete is as dry as can be before you apply the sand over the oil stained area. If it is outside, cover it with plastic and tape it down as best you can.

This method will be fruitless if water gets to it. Although I know some people who claim that mud will get up oil stains. Oddly enough, any soil that is high is clay will stain the concrete as well but in a different way. The clay content in cat litter is just enough to not stain concrete.

Sand is a much better option than just digging up some dirt from your yard simply for the unknown factor of clay content in your soil. You may already know your clay content from a soil sample. Should it not be high, you will be saving yourself money by just applying dirt from your yard over the stain.

Using this method will require at least three days before checking how well it is working. Personally, I would wait a week before checking a small area for the oil absorbency. This will give the sand or soil enough time to do its job well. Clean away the dirt and repeat washing as this may be the last step you need to conduct. You will not know until you clean it up.

Sawdust / Wood Pulp

Some of you may have lots of sawdust or wood pulp that you like to use for gardening as mulch. This is also a good material to use in absorbing up oil from concrete. The wood pulp may not work as well unless you have a way of grinding it up finer. The tiny particles will reach down into the concrete and latch onto the oil near the surface.

Go ahead and clean the surface with mild soapy water, and clean up the oil as best as you can before applying the sawdust or wood pulp. Use a mister or spray bottle to apply a very light coat of water over the oil stain. Since water and oil do not mix, the oil will try to rise above the water.

Sift out some sawdust over the oil stain and leave it overnight. Let it soak for at least 24 hours. Scrape up the sawdust and repeat the process. This is the most noticeable treatment that may take up to five days to get most of the oil out. Again, this all depends on how old the oil stain is.

Plain Old Soapy Water

By now you know that soapy water will clean up an oil stain. The ones that clean up quickly are the most recent oil stains. Don't just say, "Oh, I will clean that up later." Get it done now. The sooner you get to it the less daunting of a task it will be.

Use more soap than water to lift up the oil from the concrete. Sure you may not get it all up right away, but drying it up quickly and re-cleaning the area will surely get it up soon. Soap such as Dawn or liquid Ivory are really good to get up oil stains. If you have some degreaser or Orange Soap, they will also draw up that nasty oil out of the concrete. Remember to add water to make it more effective.

Chemicals

I highly do not recommend chemicals made to clean concrete as they can damage it, too. Should you feel you must go this route, make sure you are wearing gloves and a filtering air mask. This does not mean to put on one of those cheap face breathers. You could easily be overcome by fumes and not know it until it is too late.

Muriatic acid is the most used chemical for this purpose of cleaning. Follow the directions and make certain the area is well ventilated. You will also need some goggles as well because cleaning can spatter particles throughout the air around you.

You can use turpentine or kerosene as well, but again, the same caution should be taken before cleaning with them. These are very flammable and toxic to your lungs. Do take all precautions to protect yourself and others and dispose of the cleaning rags properly.

Whichever method you choose to clean your garage or driveway concrete will eventually get that oil stain out. Remember to take safety precautions with chemicals. If you really want to see some action in cleaning up that oil stain, pour some Coca-Cola on it and let it set for about fifteen minutes. Wipe it up and see if you still have an oil stain. You may be surprised with the results.

Sources:

Personal Experience,
http://www.essortment.com/home/removeoilconcr_sbdw.htm,
http://www.askthebuilder.com/368_Cleaning_Concrete_Oil_Spots.shtml,
http://www.ehow.com/how_9136_remove-oil-grease.html