How to Remove Oil Stains from a Concrete Garage Floor?

One of the serious problems most garage owners face in their garages is the spillage of oil and grease on their floor surfaces and they would always seek to establish how to remove oil stains from a concrete garage floor. This is always inevitable since cars, lawnmowers, and other power equipment leak fluid occasionally making the floor look unattractive. However, you can minimize this if you normalize cleaning up floors once stained to prevent further damage that will require a lot of energy and money to rectify.

Besides, consistent cleaning will also help keep your floor in good condition, saving you from the hassle of renovation. So many people feel stuck and keep wondering how best they can get rid of the resistant and stubborn stains on their concrete floor. However, there is no need to stress over this since there are several ways in regard to getting rid of the stained areas without much effort. Therefore, it’s time to break free from the walls of indecision on how to remove oil stains from a concrete garage floor.

Removing oil stain from the concrete floor is never difficult, provided you use the correct method. To restore the elegant look on your concrete floor, one should opt for substances like kerosene, cat litter, muriatic acid, powdered detergent acid, and poultices since they are known to be the most effective in oil stain removal.

However, the ease with which the stain will come out depends on how long it’s been embedded there. The age and the extent of the damage will determine the kind of method you’ll use to ensure that all the stain is sucked up from your floor surface. Moreover, it’s advisable to clean up the floor once stained to prevent the oil from seeping back to the surface, causing a stubborn stain that is strenuous to get rid of.

How to remove oil stains from a concrete garage floor?

The effectiveness of the various methods of stain removal will depend on how long the stain has been seated there and the extent of the damage. Therefore before you begin cleaning, make sure to consider that. Here is a detailed explanation of the tips to use when removing oil and grease stains from your concrete floor. I hope you find it helpful.

Use cat litter to remove the oil stains

Cat litter helps remove the excess oil from the concrete by blotting it up. You begin by sprinkling a large amount of the cat litter on the stained spot, then grind it using your feet into the stained area. Allow it to sit for a while, and then brush it off.

After that, you leave it covered with a strong laundry detergent overnight. Scrub the stain the following morning with a wire brush and some hot water. Later on, do your inspection to find out if you have completely cleaned up. However, the effectiveness of this method will depend on how long you left the detergent to soak in the stain.

Use powdered detergent to suck the oil stain up

This is the best cleaning agent to use for oil stains that are recent and fresh. You start by blotting up any heavy residue on the surface, and then you pre-wet the stain. Next, you mix the powdered detergent to hot water in a bucket .Pour it onto the oil stain, and then sprinkle more detergent directly onto the stain. You then start scrubbing using a stiff-bristled nylon brush. Make sure to let the soapy solution sit there for a few minutes but never let it dry up.

Letting the solution sit there for a while will allow it to seep through into the pores of the concrete and emulsify the oil lifting it out of the concrete. Finally, you rinse away the solution using a high-pressure nozzle. Using a high pressure one will help remove the remaining emulsified oil out of the pores and remove the stain.

Use poultice

For small but stubborn stains, poultices could be the best way to help you go about it. Poultices are used alongside absorptive materials and a strong solvent. If stains were resistant after applying the powdered solution, the next step is to make a poultice with the laundry detergent.

Mix two cups of the detergent with water and make a paste. Next, smear the mixture over the stain’s surface, and then cover it for some time with the plastic to slow the evaporation rate. Over time, the solvent will break down the oil, and the absorbent material will then suck it out of the concrete. However, it’s only recommended if you don’t need quick results since you are likely to wait a long time for the process of osmosis to take effect.

Use a degreaser

Degreasers are also handy to use in cleaning up stained floors. If your stain has been resistant even after using the household products, then degreaser is the best product to invest in. It’s ideal for stains that have stayed on the floor for a longer period.

The degreaser works well at loosening up and removing oil and grease that has been ingrained into the concrete surface. It breaks the oil down then draws it up and out of the concrete. You begin the procedure by wetting the stained concrete with hot water.

After that, you mix a very strong solution of the degreaser and then release it directly on the stained area .allow it to sit there for some time, then scrub the area. Allowing it to soak for some time will allow the solution to penetrate the concrete’s pores, hence breaking down the oil.

However, the solution shouldn’t be left to dry, and if it starts to dry before time elapses, consider adding more solution and do the scrubbing again. Then finalize by rinsing the stain. If the stain failed to come out, you could repeat the process.

Use laundry soap solvent

The majority of the people, who have tried this out, consider it one of the best methods since it dissolves the grease and oil stain providing an excellent cleaning result. However, it only works best in a fresh and recent stain. All you have to do is blot up all the oil before you begin using the soap solvent, as this will prevent the occurrence of a secondary stain.

You then mix a good amount of the laundry soap into a bucket of warm water. The essence of the warm water is to ensure that the solution gets extremely soapy. Next, you release the soapy water onto the stain, then add more of the detergent directly to the stain. Use a nylon brush to scrub the stain off. Thereafter you rinse everything off using high-pressure hose water to remove the stains completely from the concrete.

Use Muriatic acid

Muriatic acid is also known as hydrochloric acid. It is considered one of the most powerful substances in removing oil stains from concrete floors .However, before you begin using it, you should ensure you are protected since the fumes are poisonous and might cause you serious harm. It’s though advisable to seek help from a professional due to its corrosive nature.

If you decide to do it on your own, then you should read the instructions carefully before using it. You should also ensure there is enough ventilation in the room to avoid getting chocked up by the harmful chemical fumes. Thereafter, you begin by soaking the stains in the muriatic acid and then use a stiff wire brush to scrub the soaked oil stains. However, never use muriatic acid if you’ve plans of coating your concrete floor in the future.

Use kerosene to extract oil from the concrete

This is one of the cheapest methods of removing oil stains from your concrete floor. It doesn’t require much effort. All you need to do is saturate the stained spots with kerosene and scrub using a nylon brush with tough bristles until all the stains come out.

Kerosene being an inorganic solvent will break down the strong bonds in the oil, making them easy to clean up. Finally, you rinse off the stain using a pressure washer.

Ways of preventing garage floors from future damages

Investing in the methods of stain removal is never enough .it’s wise to find preventive measures that will save you from the cost of continuous purchase of substances to tidy up your messed floor as it might be costly. To avoid frustrations in the future, I’d recommend you use the following on your concrete floor.

Use an Epoxy sealer to cover the floor surface

Epoxy protects concrete and other floorings by sealing them. By applying an epoxy coating, you will easily transform your floor into one nonporous surface. Its resistant nature to stain and water makes it ideal to use in spaces where spills and messes are the order of the day, as the garages. It’s a stain repellant, thereby enabling you to clean your messed areas on the floor without strain.

Use a mat to cover the floor surface

The use of a mat is an effective way of saving your concrete garage floors as it traps all kinds of dirt and moisture from seeping through the concrete floor. All you have to do is find a sizable mat that can fit your garage space perfectly well then you install it on your concrete floor.

Mats are advantageous since they can be rolled up without creating any mess on the garage floor while it’s being taken out for cleaning. Moreover, its slip-resistant nature makes it a perfect choice for garages.

The video below shows how to remove the oil stains from a garage

Frequently asked questions

Does WD-40 remove oil stains?

Yes, you can use WD to remove oil stains from the concrete floor. However, its effectiveness will depend on how long the stain has been there. First, you soak up the oil with a paper towel, then pour some good amount of WD-40 and let it soak for roughly ten minutes .Thereafter, you clean it up using a rag or a thick-bristle brush. If the stain persists, you can soak it up using cat litter or baking soda, and then scrub it off after a while.

Does vinegar remove oil stains from concrete?

Vinegar removes oil stains from concrete floors just like any other solution. Some people perceive that it’s not aggressive as compared to other solutions. However, there is no logic behind this not unless you give it a try and find out.

What is the best oil stain remover for concrete?

The removal of oil stains in a garage can be a significant challenge for most garage owners, and they always strive to establish an ideal unit for stain removal. The Pour-N-Restore Oil Stain Remover forms the most appropriate unit for the removal of oil stains, food grease stains, cooking oil stains, and other tough materials or chemicals found in the concrete.

You can find this explicit unit at amazon.com.

Does dawn dish soap remove oil from concrete?

Among the best oil or stain removers from the concrete is dawn dishwashing liquid soap. The soap utilizes the emulsification process to combine with the oil and then lift it away from the surface. You will then be required to utilize a broom or brush to agitate the paste and scrub it into the stain before rinsing away the paste.

Final thoughts

Nothing is more disturbing than an unpleasant look on a concrete floor. Every homeowner needs an elegant floor free from oil stains and dirt. Therefore to achieve this, quick actions need to be taken once floors are stained to avoid immense damages that might result from letting the stain sit on the floor surface for a longer period. However, if the stain has been embedded for a longer period, you should consider using the chemicals mentioned above to scrub the stain off.