How To Remove Oil Stains From Concrete: 5 Effective Methods
While a little dirt on concrete is to be expected, huge black spots are a bit harder to overlook, as well as clean up. Oil stains can stick out like a sore thumb on your beautiful concrete driveway, walkway, garage, or patio. In a nutshell, these stains look ghastly and lower your curb appeal. But they happen. The stains easily penetrate the porous surface of the concrete and sink deep. That is if you let them! While these types of stains may seem impossible to deal with, there are actually a few ways you can tackle them and restore the concrete to its former glory. No matter if they are new or old, we won’t let those stains deface any area of your concrete. Today we will show you how to remove oil stains from concrete easily with some effective methods.
These stains look ghastly and lower your curb appeal
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How To Remove Oil Stains From Concrete
If you have an unsightly stain sitting on your garage floor, garden patio, or your concrete driveway, it’s time to deal with it. Especially, if you are thinking of sealing or resurfacing the concrete in the near future. All those stains are not something you want to have sealed. But what can you do about them? While oil isn’t the isn’t the easiest stain to clean up, it certainly isn’t impossible. You just need the right tools. That’s why today we will show you how to easily remove those pesky stains, old or new, by using the right tools and methods.
While oil isn’t the isn’t the easiest stain to clean up, it certainly isn’t impossible
#Use an absorbent
The sooner you deal with an oil stain, the better your chances are for removal. So, if the stain is brand new, the first thing you should do is use some sort of absorbent material on it. You can use cat litter, saw dust, baking soda, cornstarch, flour, sand, or even dirt! Just spread the dry material over the whole oil stain. Let it sit for a couple of hours so it can soak up the oil. Then, simply collect the dry material with a broom and throw it away. Even if you don’t get to the spill at the exact moment it happens, it’s still recommended to use an absorbent as the first step before you do anything else.
You can use cat litter, saw dust, baking soda, cornstarch, flour, sand, or even dirt as an absorbent
#Homemade cleaner
You can make a homemade cleaner to tackle the stain. After you have absorbed as much of the oil as you can beforehand, it’s time to use the cleaner. It’s important to sop up as much oil as possible, so the cleaner can penetrate deeper into the concrete. There are three main cleaners you can make. The first being an equal pars vinegar and water solution. The second is a mixture of two tablespoons of baking sofa to a cup of hot water. And finally, you can make a solution from a cup of water and a teaspoon of detergent. Of course, you can make a bigger batch depending on how big the stain is. Then with a stiff bristle brush and your cleaner of choice go to town. Scrub, scrub, scrub. This method is effective for both new and old stains, but you will need to do some extra scrubbing if it is an older stain.
Make a homemade cleaner from equal parts vinegar and water
#Use the pressure washer
This is a great method if you don’t want to spend hours scrubbing out the stain by hand. After you have absorbed as much as you can from the oil with the absorbent, it’s time to bring out the big guns. It’s very important you remove as much of the oil beforehand as you don’t want the washer to spread it. Add a degreaser to the spill before washing it and let it sit for around fifteen minutes. Once it as penetrated into the concrete, the degreaser will allow for more of the stain to be removed. Experts also recommend to use hot water to improve its effectiveness. Make sure to use the appropriate power setting as these machines are super powerful and you don’t want to make any damage to anything around the stain or you. If you don’t own a pressure washer, you can see if your local hardware store or home improvement retailer has rental options.
This is a great method if you don’t want to spend hours scrubbing out the stain by hand
#WD-40
WD-40 isn’t just for squeaky hinges, preventing rust, and unsticking stubborn parts. This amazing product can also help you clean that pesky oil stain from concrete. It is an effective grease stain remover, which makes it perfect for the job. However, it is more effective on newer stains rather than old ones, so keep that in mind. Simply spray this lubricant onto the stain (after you have applied the absorber, of course) and let it sit for at least half an hour. Then rinse it with some water.
This amazing product can also help you clean that pesky oil stain from concrete
#Use Coke
Yep, you read that right. Your favorite fizzy drink can also help remove that annoying oil stain. You can pour it over the stain on its own and let it sit overnight or mix it with some dish soap and scrub the area until the stain is lifted. Simply rinse and repeat until you get the desired results. And just like all the other methods, make sure you have first applied an absorbent and don’t go straight in with the Coke.
Your favorite fizzy drink can also help remove that annoying oil stain
These are all the tips and tricks you need to know on how to remove oil stains from concrete. We hope you found this article useful. Finally, you can get rid of those pesky stains on your driveway or in the garage!
These are all the tips and tricks you need to know on how to remove oil stains from concrete
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