oil stains

[Robin7TFour]

hello, i need something to clean oil/grease stains on my driveway. i had heard muratic acid would work. but it won't pull up the oil. does a great job,tho, etching the clean surfaces.
thanks

Robin

 

[Culprit]

Concrete or blacktop driveway?

 

[Robin7TFour]

all concrete.....

 

[Ken]

Let's bump it back to the "new posts" page. I'm interested in cleaners for both the finished concrete as well as the rough stuff. I've got stains out front that I'd like to clean.

 

[Culprit]

I don't have any great ideas but since it doesn't appear that anyone else does either...

To clean small sections of my smooth cement garage floor after a project or a spill, I use orange go-jo with pumice and a scrub brush. My reasoning is that if the stuff will cut through grease on my hands, then it will soften and cut through stuff on my floor. But my knees wouldn't want to clean a large area like that though - but it's good for small spots.

Driveways are usually a rougher finish and more porous - not sure if it would work. You could try 'pre-treating' the bad spots, let it soak in and soften the stuff up then use a pressure-washer.

Do you have access to one of those commercial heavy duty hot water/steam pressure washers? We use one of those to clean the undersides of our HMMWV's and 7 ton trucks and it practically takes the paint off. The agriculture inspector can't find a speck of dirt on our gear after using that thing. The last thing you want when you land in the states after a deployment is to be told that you can't go home because they found dirt and you have to re-wash everything before they'll let you out of the airport.

Anybody else have a good idea?

 

[Ken]

I've tried my pressure washer on the outside driveway, albeit without soap or any type of cleaner, but couldn't budge the oil stains from the concrete. I think it may have to be acid-washed or something.

By the same token, I have stains from previous use of tire preps, the polymer-type. You don't see it ubtil it's wet, then you can see the waterproofing effects it has. I can't budge that stuff either.

 

[mytoy]

Try Simple Green, it worked for me.Took my z71 in for a oil change put it in the garage a week later went out to drive it and oil on the floor, they must have spilled the oil filter in the skid plate and it leaked on the floor, I dried it up and pour Simple Green on it let it stand for about a hour and it worked

 

[Rob]

From:

http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/CleanDriveway.htm
Making Your Concrete Driveway More on the White Side

If you have access to a power washer, it's probably the
first thing to try on a stubborn stain (other than fresh oil).
​

Oil & Grease



Fresh Oil -- The universal solution for fresh spilled oil is kitty litter. If you change your own oil or your car leaks oil, keep a bag of it in the garage and put a handful or so on the oil puddle. If the oil spill is recent but, has already soaked in, this stuff will also draw some out of the surface so, try it before going to the next step.

Old Oil -- This one's harder. People do different things for oil that has soaked in. I saw a test on TV where they divided a large, seasoned stain into four areas and tried different methods on each area. They worked all cleaners in vigorously with a push broom.

On two of the areas they used home remedies. One of these was Coke. It didn't do anything. The other home concoction was a mixture of laundry soap, with either bleach or ammonia and TSP. Also, little improvement.

On the other two areas they used Gunk brand degreaser (which is what I've always used) and Swab a driveway cleaner product made by Gunk. NOTE: This was not a Gunk Commercial.</EM>. Both improved the situation but did not clean away the stain entirely. The driveway cleaner did a better job but was more trouble to use. The degreaser left an undesirable wet looking sheen, the driveway cleaner didn't do this. On alt.home.repar I've seen good comments about Castrol SuperClean and a similar (maybe the same) product called PurpleStuff. A likely place to find Gunk or Castrol SuperClean is an auto parts store.

Here's a novel proposal. I don't know anyone who's tried it. It's not obvious to me why it would work better than a combination of the above methods, but who knows. Here are more ideas from the Michigan State University Extension Service.

 

[Rob]

From: http://www.askthebuilder.com/368_Cleaning_Oil_Stains_from_Concrete.shtml

Cleaning Oil Stains from Concrete

By Tim Carter
Jul 2, 2001, 08:17
© Tim Carter
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DEAR TIM: Yesterday a dump truck not only left a load of top soil at my home but it also left behind a nasty oil stain in the center of my concrete driveway. I also have some old oil stains on my concrete garage floor. How can I remove these stains and restore the concrete to its original state? Once I get the concrete clean and dry is there a way one can prevent oil stains from seeping into concrete? Gus Z., Elmhurst, IL

DEAR GUS: Motor and hydraulic oils can really cause a mess on concrete, brick and blacktop but the good news is that you can achieve excellent clean up results if you act quickly. Concrete is a dense surface but water and many other liquids can and do soak into the surface. The fresh oil stain created by the dump truck will be a breeze to remove. The older oil stains in your garage may be a far greater challenge.

Removing the fresh stain from the driveway will require a regular scrub brush, some liquid dish soap and water. All you need to do is squirt some liquid dish soap onto the stain and add some water. Be sure to wet down the surrounding concrete as well. This will prevent oil released during the cleaning process from causing a secondary stain. Scrub the stain vigorously and add enough water to make a rich lather of soap.

The soap will emulsify the oil and lift it out of the concrete. If you simply rinse the driveway the oil will pollute your yard or street. You may decide it is more environmentally responsible to blot up a majority of the dirty soap mixture with paper towels or a dry compound like cat litter and dispose of this in a certified landfill. There is a good chance your local waste collection service can accomplish this task for you.

Do not use a wire brush to scrub the concrete. It can erode and scratch the concrete finish resulting in a permanent scar. I have successfully removed many fresh oil stains from my own concrete driveway using a standard nylon bristle scrub brush that I purchased at a local grocery store. Some stains require several scrubbing attempts to completely remove all of the oil.

You can use the same method to attack the older stains in your garage floor. If the concrete finish on the garage floor is quite smooth, you may have a great chance of success. Smooth steel troweled concrete is highly resistant to oil stains. This type of finish, though, is unsuitable for exterior concrete. It simply is too slippery when it gets wet. Rough concrete finishes absorb oil rapidly.

If the old stains do not respond to the soap and water method you can consider using a solvent like kerosene to help lift the stain. But I do not like to use solvents as they are very dangerous to work with. The fumes from these products can ignite and cause serious harm to you and your home. If you decide to work with solvents, I would only do so after consulting with your local fire department's fire prevention officer.

Some people have had success lifting oil stains using muriatic acid. But keep in mind that this chemical, even when mixed one part acid to ten parts water, can and will dissolve some of the cement paste at the surface. Couple this with scrubbing and you very well may alter the appearance of the concrete once it dries.

Clean concrete can be treated to help minimize the penetration of oil and water that contains dirt and pigments. Some of the best products are clear water and oil repellents that contain silane and siloxane ingredients. These chemical solids help block the tiny pores in concrete to stop water from entering and soaking into the concrete. The silane and siloxane products allow the concrete to breathe. This is very important for concrete that is subjected to freezing temperatures. The clear repellents are easy to apply and dry clear.

 

[Rob]

From Lowes:

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Concrete Stains [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Project Level: Intermediate (what's this?)[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Concrete is a hard and durable building material. It is also porous and susceptible to staining. Painting or sealing a concrete surface is a good way to prevent staining. Unpainted or unsealed concrete can quickly become unsightly due to oil, grease, trees, birds or other agents. Often these stains can be removed easily. Lowe's is happy to provide this information as a service to you.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The tannins found in tree sap, leaves and nut husks have been used as a natural stain for wood and yarn for years. They can also stain concrete. Oil and grease are common culprits. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Each type of stain has its own challenges. Much of your success will depend on the severity of the stain. You may have to clean the area several times to get results. It also helps to act as quickly as possible after the stain occurs. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Clean large amounts of a fresh spill by covering the area with cat litter. The litter will absorb most of the material. Dispose of the used litter properly. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]To remove remaining material or if the stain is old, it is [/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]advisable to always look for a cleaner specially formulated for cleaning concrete. If you are in a pinch, try one of these:

[/font]

• 1. [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Household bleach - Dilute as the directions indicate for cleaning. Let the solution sit on the stained area for several minutes, then scrub and rinse.
     
     [/font]
  2. [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Laundry or dishwashing detergent - Sprinkle dry detergent over the area. Let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub with hot water.
     
     [/font]
  3. [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) - Dilute one cup in one gallon of hot water. Pour it on the area and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Scrub with a stiff brush. Rinse off with hose and repeat if needed. TSP is also available in a phosphate-free version.[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]SAFETY NOTE[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Always wear eye and skin protection when using cleaning chemicals. [/font]
​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Muriatic Acid [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Muriatic acid is not a stain remover or cleaner. The acid actually etches away the concrete itself, and sometimes the stain as well. You will need to scrub and rinse this chemical also. Follow the directions carefully and WEAR EYE AND SKIN PROTECTION. Since you will be removing the actual concrete, use muriatic acid only if you seal the driveway with masonry sealer afterwards. Remember that you will be altering the level of the surface if you remove a lot of material. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]To avoid damaging concrete:[/font]

• [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If you use a pressure washer, make sure you have the right nozzle. A jet that is too concentrated can damage concrete.
  
  [/font]
• [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Use a nylon scrub brush, not wire. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Also Check Out:[/font]

• [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sealing Concrete[/font]
• [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Sealing Your Driveway[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Was this information helpful? Please let us know your do-it-yourself experiences. We'd love to hear from you! [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]These How-To's are provided as a service from Lowe's, the Original Home Improvement Warehouse of How-To information for the World Wide Web. The information in Lowe's "How-To" clinics is intended to simplify jobs around the house. Tools, products, materials, techniques, building codes and local regulations change; therefore, Lowe's assumes no liability for omissions, errors or the outcome of any project. The reader must always exercise reasonable caution, follow current codes and regulations that may apply, and is urged to consult with a licensed professional if in doubt about any procedures. Please read our terms of use. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
© 2002 by Lowe's. All rights reserved. Lowe's and the gable design are registered trademarks of LF, LLC. [/font]

 

[Ritchie]

back at the old shop we used gasoline and a red shop rag. Not the safest or healthiest but it worked on our smooth shop floor. we would pour a small amount on the stain then blot / wipe it up. I would only try gasoline as a last resort. 85 year old mech showed us the gasoline trick.
Dang that man could do good lead work too.

 

[Ken]

Dang that man could do good lead work too.

That's quickly becoming a lost art.

 

[safety_match]

The key is to never let the oil sit on there long. I have 4 cars and only 1 of them leak (not too much though) so we never park it in the driveway.

But when a visiting leaker does leave a stain I'm out there immediately with a nylon scrub brush and Fantastic. I can get it off even it it's a day or two old. Fantastic works for me, but I don't know what to use if the oil has been there a real long time.

 

[surferdave]

Powdered Boric acid will work, sweep it in. If there is any left, use fast orange and a stiff brush.
dave

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Robin,

Yeah, the fast orange works pretty well on suface oil in concrete. A little laquer thinner scrubbed in and blotted off with a paper towel will wick the rest out.

 

[Vettefan87]

If it is small and not a big amount I found that Brake parts cleaner or Carb Cleaner works pretty well, but only if it is fresh.


Justin

 

[bluecoupe]

I used to use these at work. Strong stuff.

http://www.zepmfg.com/ProductCatalog/ProductBrowse.asp?img=products&superSection=26&section=137&subSection=993


http://www.zepmfg.com/ProductCatalog/ProductBrowse.asp?img=products&superSection=26&section=137&subSection=995

Give them a call for a solution to your problem.

 

[bigvette1]

What works well for me is to spray engine degreaser on the oil spill, then use the push broom and rub it into the oil and let it sit. Then use a hose or pressure washer to wash the stain off. Seems to get 90% of it off. May not be the best for the grass along side the drive way, but something has to give.