How to Treat Oil Spills

Oil spills in the home leave an unpleasant, slippery mess. Whether the oil is cooking oil, heating oil or motor oil, you will need to clean it up quickly or risk harming your floors or someone slipping and falling. Fortunately, the products you need for cleaning up an oil spill on hard floor surfaces, such as tile, linoleum, concrete and wood, are readily available--you probably have some or all these products and supplies already in your home.

Things You'll Need

• Coarse, non-clumping clay cat litter Shovel Old broom Grease-cutting dish soap Hot water Mop Towels

Instructions

How to Treat Oil Spills

1. Place absorbent, non-clumping clay cat litter on the oil spill immediately. Cover the entire area, and let the cat litter sit on the oil for at least thirty minutes to absorb it.

2. Scrape up the oil-soaked litter with a shovel and discard it. Place fresh litter over the oil spot on the floor. Let it sit for another thirty minutes (or less, if there isn't much oil left).

3. Shovel up the rest of the oily cat litter and dispose of it. Use an old broom to push smaller amounts that you can't get up with the shovel onto a piece of cardboard or a dust pan and discard it.

4. Pour liquid degreasing dish detergent directly onto the oil spill. You will need about 1 tsp. per square foot (you can always add more later, if necessary).

5. Dampen a mop in hot water from a bucket of water or a sink. Mop the floor, mixing the detergent into the spill. Rinse the mop frequently with hot water to get excess oil out of the mop head (otherwise, you'll just be smearing the oil around the floor). Rinse the floor with warm water.

6. Dry the floor with clean towels. If the floor is still sticky or a greasy after drying, repeat Step 5.

Tips & Warnings

• This method for cleaning oil spills works on all hard, non-carpeted floor surfaces. Oil spills on carpet require slightly different treatment, which usually involves a degreaser (sometimes dish detergent will do) and a steam cleaner (and no cat litter). If your floors are easily scratched, use a plastic shovel (rather than a heavy metal shovel) or a similar instrument to scoop up the oily cat litter. If some of the oil has splashed onto walls or furniture, wipe it off with a damp sponge with a small amount of degreasing detergent.

• If the oil is heating oil or a similar kind of oil, make sure to ventilate the area well. Some oils give off flammable fumes and require special precautions. Large spills of this kind may require professional assistance. Cooking oil may usually be disposed of with your regular trash. Motor oil and similar oils, however, may need to be disposed of at a hazardous waste facility--check your local ordinances.

References

• Cleaning Oil From Concrete
• Cleaning up Oil Spills in the Home