Are oil stains on your concrete garage floor or driveway? Before sealing, staining, or resurfacing concrete, it is important to get rid of oil. It is important to remove the oil before applying decorative treatments. This problem can be avoided by removing oil stains from concrete.
While some oil stains may be small spots or spillages, others are more severe. It will depend on the size and age of the oil stain as well as how difficult it is to get rid of. It may take few trial and errors to determine the best way to remove oil from concrete.
Here are few tips to help you deal with an oil stain.
- Get rid of excess oil. Use a rag to clean up oil or cat litter to absorb it.
- Use a paste to scrub the oil stain. Rinse the area with water.
- Use soap to clean oil spots. Rinse concrete.
Ideas To Spruce Up Your Driveway
After you have removed the oil stains, you can apply color or an overlay to transform your driveway. These are the best methods to remove oil stains from concrete
- Use a strong detergent to wash away oil and a sponge or scrub brush.
- To loosen the oil, use a concrete cleaner/degreaser
- Use a poultice to break down the fat, and then suck it out of the concrete
- Special single-celled microorganisms can eat the oil
There are many chemical ways to remove oil and grease from concrete. Find out more about each approach below.
Oil Removal With A Detergent
Sometimes, small spillages or spots can be easily removed using a mild detergent, a brush, and a sponge.
Get Oil Out Of Concrete By Using Microorganisms
One-celled microorganisms are the most recent way to remove oil stains from concrete. They can live on crude oil and derivatives and eat them like candy. The oil is broken down by oxygen and enzymes, which then turn it into carbon dioxide. The microorganisms that live off the oil (the food source) die and the concrete is left clean and free of oil. This technology is used to clean beaches or waterways following large oil spillages.
Concrete Cleaner And Degreaser
You can also use a commercial concrete cleaner or degreaser. This is a concentrated alkaline soap that is rubbed into concrete. The soap acts as a ball bearing, loosening the soil and allowing for easier removal. However, most degreasers won’t break down oil so they won’t work well with concrete that has been heavily contaminated. They are also more effective when working with porous concrete than concrete with a dense or hard finish.
Cleaning Oil Stains With A Poultice
A poultice is another common way to remove oil stains from concrete. A poultice can be used to remove small and stubborn stains. It is made by first soaking an absorbent (such as cat litter, pool filter media, or sawdust) in a strong solvent (acetone or xylene or lacquer thinner, or MEK), then applying the material to the stain. The poultice should be covered with plastic and allowed to osmosis. The solvent will dissolve the oil and the absorptive materials will absorb it from the concrete. This process is slow and not cost-effective. It may not be practical to remove large stains.