How to Clean Oil Spills on the Floor

Oil spills are common in garages.

Oils spills in your home or garage can be some of the toughest stains to clean because the oil is slick and tough to soak up completely. If you try to wipe it up with cloths or paper towels, you can end up spreading the stain. Thus, using a powdery substance to soak up the oil spill is one of the best options. Always work to absorb oil spills as soon as possible as they can damage wood or concrete floors.

Things You'll Need

• Baking soda or kitty litter
• Broom
• Dust pan
• All-purpose cleaner
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Sprinkle baking soda or kitty litter over the oil spill. The powdery substance will immediately begin to absorb the oil spill. This will prevent it from soaking into the floor.

2. Sprinkle more baking soda or kitty litter over the oil spill until all of the oil is absorbed.

3. Sweep up the baking soda or kitty litter into a dustpan and throw it away.

4. Spray the floor with an all-purpose cleaner to clean up the oil residue.

5. Wipe the wet floor with paper towels.

References

• "The Family Handyman"; Removing Oil, Paint and Other Concrete Stains; April 2004
• Mrs. Clean: Tips on Removing Oil Stains
• Mrs. Clean: Tips on Oil and Grease Stain Removal