Does the concrete around your home have unsightly oil stains? Is your car leaking oil and leaving ugly stains on the garage floor? If you’re tired of looking at the oil-stained concrete around your house, take action and learn how to remove oil stains from concrete with just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of muscle.
Nothing is as frustrating as having to look at concrete that has been stained by oil. Some oil stains are just small spills, while others have contaminated large areas of your concrete. The size of the oil stain, along with the age of the stain, will determine if you will have difficulty removing oil stains from concrete.
Just like when you clean your patio with a homemade deck wash, cleaning oil stains from concrete may take some time before the stain is eliminated.
Remove Oil Stains from Concrete Garage Floor
There is nothing more aggravating than pulling into your garage and noticing a considerable motor oil stain right where you park. Not only are you looking at a possible car repair, but you also have an unsightly blemish that you will have to deal with now.
As far as removing the stain, here is the best way for how to get oil stains off the concrete. This solution can also be used to get rid of carpet glue on a concrete floor. If you recently pulled up the carpet in your basement and need to remove carpet glue from concrete floors before painting or putting down other carpeting, try this recipe.
Blot up any heavy residue that may be on the concrete surface with paper towels. Pre-wet the stain and the surface area surrounding the stain. This is extremely important because any oil that is freed during the cleaning processes can migrate to other areas of the garage floor and create a secondary stain.
In the bucket, mix the detergent with the hot water, stirring to combine thoroughly. Pour the solution directly on the stained area and then sprinkle more detergent onto the oil stain or for removing epoxy paint from concrete garage floor. Using a stiff bristled brush, start scrubbing the area.
Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes to ensure that it penetrates the pores of the concrete. Allowing it to emulsify with the oil or paint will help lift the stain out of the concrete.
For tough rust stains see our tips on how to remove rust stains from concrete. Use the garden hose fitted with a high-pressure nozzle to rinse away the solution.
To clean a concrete basement floor, pre-treat any visible stains and use a mop and bucket to apply this solution. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. Empty the bucket of the cleaner and replace with fresh water. Mop the floor again with the clean water and let air dry.
Removing Oil Stains from Concrete
If you have a more stubborn stain that has been sitting for a while, you may need to purchase a robust, commercial concrete degreaser. Degreasers work to penetrate the stain to break down the oil and draw it up out of the concrete. You can use the degreaser in conjunction with an absorbent material like cat litter.
First, wet the area that needs to be treated with warm water. Mix a solution of the degreaser, according to the manufacturer’s instructions and pour it directly onto the stain. Scrub the area and let stand for 15 minutes.
While the area is still wet, scrape off any suds and standing water with a towel or dustpan. Pour a liberal amount of litter onto the stain and stomp it into the concrete. Let the litter sit overnight. The following day, sweep up the litter and the oil to eliminate the stain.
Take the time to deep clean concrete after stain removal or once or twice a year with a pressure washer to leave the entire surface fresh and unblemished.
Pressure washing a driveway is an excellent way to brighten the concrete and gives your house an overall clean appearance. It’s also easy to accomplish and quite satisfying.
Get Rid of Oil Stains from Concrete Driveway
Oil stains on your concrete driveway can become an eyesore that makes the entire exterior of your house look dingy. Fortunately, you can clean the oil stains from your driveway using a poultice and several other common ingredients.
Gather your supplies and head outside. Put on the rubber gloves. Mix the hydrated lime powder and the turpentine to create a thick paste. Using the paint scraper, spread the paste over the oil stain and a few inches around the outside edge of the stain.
Place the plastic wrap on the paste and secure the borders with tape. Allow the paste to sit for 24 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and scrape off the paste with the paint scraper.
In a large bucket, mix the water and liquid dish soap. Dip the scrub brush in the mixture and scrub the stain. Rinse the area clean with the water hose. You may need to repeat the process several times to eliminate the stain.
You may find that this recipe will also remove paint from concrete floor after an accidental project spill.
Now that you have gotten those nasty oil stains out of the concrete, you may wonder how to remove oil stains from clothes. No matter what type of material you have oil stains on, it’s important to get it out the right way. Remove motor oil from clothing after you work on your car or get rid of cooking grease stains from frying chicken in much the same way.
The unsightly oil stains that are dotting your concrete can make your home look neglected. The previous methods will allow you to remove both new and old oil stains and bring your concrete back to its original splendor. With just a few simple ingredients and a little elbow grease, you can eliminate those unsightly oil stains on your concrete for good.
We hope you enjoyed learning about concrete stain removal. If you found the information about how to remove oil stains from concrete in this article helpful, please feel free to share your new knowledge of concrete cleaning with your friends and family.