How Oil Stains Can Be Removed From Concrete Flooring
Oil stains on a concrete floor are an occupational hazard if you keep a vehicle in your carport or garage. Luckily, you can remove the mess using a simple clean-up formula. Everything you need for this job will probably already be at hand around your home or garage. Read on to find out how to get rid of those nasty oil stains.
What you'll need
- a small bag of cat litter (the gravel kind, not wood or gel)
- three cans of fizzy cola (any brand, diet or regular)
- stiff yard brush
- bucket
- ammonia-free laundry powder
- liquid chlorine bleach
- rubber gloves
- eye protection
- garden hose and supply of running water
Do make sure that the laundry powder you use is ammonia free. Ammonia reacts with liquid chlorine and hot water to form a toxic gas that could be hazardous to your health if you were to breathe it in, so check the ingredients listed on the detergent packaging carefully before you proceed.
How to do it
- Begin by covering the stain with a thin layer of cat litter and tread it in as thoroughly as you can. Leave the cat litter in place for a couple of hours to allow it to absorb as much of the oil as possible.
- Sweep up the cat litter and place it in a plastic bag for later disposal. Now pour on sufficient cola to cover the whole of the stained area.
- Use the yard brush to thoroughly work the cola into the stained part of the floor, adding more cola as necessary to keep the area damp. Leave the cola to work until it stops fizzing, but don't let the floor dry out.
- Use clean, cold water to rinse off the cola. You should be left with a grey stain.
- Now, put on your eye protection and face mask. Mix up a solution of equal parts, one cup of chlorine bleach to one cup of powdered laundry detergent. Fill up the bucket with very hot water. Use the solution to scrub the remaining stained area of the floor.
- Rinse the floor again with cold water and allow it to dry thoroughly.
- Remember to dispose of the oil-soiled cat litter correctly by taking to your local waste management site and placing it in the oil, paint, and hazardous chemicals bin.
In conclusion
It is possible to get rid of oil stains from your garage or carport concrete floor in just a couple of hours by following the above guidelines. If the stains are old or particularly stubborn, you should contact a professional cleaning company for assistance. They will have access to powerful chemical detergents that should shift even the most stubborn stains.