How to Remove Oil Stains on Concrete

Contributor

By Bree Johnson
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (4 Ratings)

Spilled or leaking oil can stain your concrete driveway or garage floor and cleaning it up can be a hassle if you don't know the proper techniques. Follow these simple instructions to easily remove oil stains on concrete.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Clay cat litter or saw dust
Broom
Dustpan
Mineral spirits
Stiff bristled brush
Newspaper
Laundry detergent
Bleach

Remove Oil Stains on Concrete

Step 1

Try absorbing powders. Pour clay cat litter or saw dust over the spilled oil and let it sit for 48 hours to allow the powder time to soak up as much of the oil as possible. Sweep it up with a broom after an appropriate amount of time has passed. The majority of the oil stain should have been removed from the concrete.
Step 2

Use mineral spirits. If the cat litter or saw dust didn't produce results, try pouring mineral spirits on the stain, rub it in with a stiff bristled brush, and let it soak for three minutes.
Step 3

Lay newspaper over the stain and let it dry. The newspaper helps to absorb the mineral spirits and oil from the concrete.
Step 4

Mix a solution of 1 cup of laundry detergent, 1 cup of household bleach, and 1 gallon of water and use a stiff bristled brush to scrub the oil stain
Step 5

When all else fails, try a brand name oil remover. These can be purchased inexpensively at most home improvement and auto parts stores. Pour the liquid over the stain and wait. The liquid will soon turn to powder and can easily be swept up with a broom.

Comments

greentechman said

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on 6/10/2009 I found a new product which removes oil stains and fuel spills from any surface without using toxic chemicals. It is called Oil Gone Easy S-200 and can be used on asphalt, concrete, brick and soil to remove any petrochemical. Instead of using noxious cleaners, solvents or kitty litter, you just pour Oil Gone Easy S-200 on the stain and the job is finished. The liquid attracts locally existing microorganisms to literally eat the oil until it is eliminated within a week or two. It is very easy to use, involves no mess and best of all there is no clean up required. This technique is totally green and much cheaper than conventional cleaners. The product was used to clean up major oil spills and is recognized by the EPA. Oil Gone Easy S-200 is referenced in Wikipedia.