Garage Floor Cleaning

[ovrszd]

My BIL bought some very expensive concrete paint. Can't remember the brand name. Did everything by the book. Even let it sit for a week after applying before parking on it. Parked his 1/2T pickup on it overnight. When he backed out the next morning the paint he was parked on stuck to the tires and peeled off the concrete. He called the company they gave him nothing but excuses. Now the only place there's paint left on the floor is where he doesn't use it.

 

[Doloe]

If you rent on of those round floor scrubbers, I'd really like to how well it worked.

 

[George2615]

I use cheap cat litter on oil spills / stains. The dustier the better. I lay it down and it soaks up oil spills. It also works on oil stains. Put it on the stain and let it absorb the oil. The next day brush it around or grind the dust into the floor with your shoes and let it sit another day. Then sweep it up. Portland cement will also suck up the stain.

I have not tried this but it's supposed to eat oil off floors.
BT200 Stain Remover and Degreaser

There are also many concrete degreasers available in auto parts and big box stores.
I'm surprised the Tide didn't work. That would have been another option.

 

[timswi]

I also use the cheap kitty litter, throw it down and grind it in with your feet until there is nothing left but powder. I use Purple Power and/or Citric acid, broom around and pressure wash. As far as detergents, Dawn is one of the best for grease/oil.

Works for me anyway.

 

[ovrszd]

I also use the cheap kitty litter, throw it down and grind it in with your feet until there is nothing left but powder. I use Purple Power and/or Citric acid, broom around and pressure wash. As far as detergents, Dawn is one of the best for grease/oil.

Works for me anyway.

Yep, Dawn is awesome. I use it in my Power Washer when washing equipment.

 

[The Suburban Farmer]

I love my Simple Green, but I agree that Dawn is some impressive stuff. I don't know what makes Dawn technically different from Joy or the others, but if you look around the web at some of the "alternative" uses for Dawn, it seems like pretty magical stuff... a few of my favorite alternative uses are:

• Wash excess hair coloring from your hair
• Kill fleas in carpeting
• Repel insects from house and garden plants
• Kill ants
• Treat a yeast infection (really???)
• Prevent eye glasses from fogging up

Wacky Uses: Dawn® Dishwashing Liquid

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Oils will soak into the concrete and there's nothing you can REASONABLY do to get it all out.

That said, there's a couple of less reasonable ways.

(1) If you seal a hose to the concrete and apply a vacuum condition to it, the oil will slowly flow out. We're talking days to weeks for that though.

(2) Other way is to get water to up well through the concrete from the bottom, and carry the oil with it. Long periods of flooding can do that for you. If you've soaked the area in detergent prior to the upwelling, it works even better.

Short of that, jackhammer the floor out, re-pour, and then seal it before using.

 

[s219]

Carb cleaner works great on recent oil stains in concrete, but not so sure about old stains.

 

[davesl708]

Does that actually remove a layer of concrete? If so, how much? Noticeable to surrounding areas?

I do have some slope to the floor for drainage so it has been a challenge to get liquids to stay put for very long.

Thanks for the replies so far as all are welcome.

If mixed as recommended it will not remove the concrete. I use a garden sprinkler can to spread it and then a broom to move it around to the corners and make it even. My floor had not been cleaned since the house was built in 1960. Before I moved in it was covered in dirt and oil stains. The acid cleaned it to like new condition. Then you need to apply a sealer to keep it clean.

 

[Egon]

Mm

I've recently started cleaning up the attached garage and have some old oil / grease stains on the floor. I've tried many things but have yet to get them to "lift" out. I've tried power washing, Tide detergent, mineral spirits, etc.... Tire marks are still there too.

Anyone have any experience as to what really removes old oil stains from concrete? I don't need it perfect but the cleaner the better. I now am parking 3 cars in there that have no leaks. The main culprit was my tractor at one time but that has now been fixed.

Short of replacing the concrete you may be stuck with oil impregnated concrete floor.

Soap and hot water should remove the surface oil but underneath there is still lots. Heating may remove a lot of oil but may also destroy the concrete surface.

Cleaners and such will get surface oil but again the oil is probably soaked well into the concrete.