What do you all use to clean oil from concrete?

[PineRidge]

Don I was looking at that rig the other day at eBay, pretty interesting isn't it? It looks strong enough to suck the chrome off an old bumper to me. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Poncho]

I've always had good luck with Castrol Super Clean degreaser and have found many uses for it.... spraying on tires to clean white letters and get that new tire look, put in washer to whiten the whites (really works good with bleach), cleaning the oven, overhead stove filters etc.

 

[v8dave]

Having some old cars and having others visit with their old cars, I've had more experience than I want with oil spots on concrete.

Fresh oil spots can be picked up with clay cat litter. Sprinkle some on, about a 1/4" thick, and grind it in with the sole of your shoe. Do this several times. After the last grinding leave it overnight. It will lift most of the spot. The rest will fade out in a few days.

For "old" oil spots use a paste of laundry detergent. Once again grind it in with the sole of your shoe. Letting it sit overnight, rinse it off with a hose spray. Letting it sit longer (several days) helps with real stubborn spots.

 

[Kozmo38]

Used to work at a chevy dealer when I was in college. Everysaturday had to clean the shop floor. It is a pain, but it works. Here is what we did.

Used citrus based spray in and covered the entire floor concentrating on the heavy spots.

Sprinkled tide( powder) laundry detergent over the floor, does not have to be thick.

misted the floor with water.

Scrubbbed floor with brillo disc on floor bufffer,

Then rinse.

Guarunteed no spots.

This could all be done on a smaller scale by using a firm shop broom instead of the buffer.

For smaller spots just concentrate on the spot.

We used to do 15,000 sq. ft. shop in about three hours.

I would be careful grinding kitty litter and other cleaners into your concrete. You need to get the oil lifted from the crevaces. By grinding in those items, you are just covering them and hoping that your hose will wash them out of the crevaces.

 

[Junkman]

I find this an interesting subject. When i worked at the gas station in 1962, they would clean the floor with gasoline. I never stayed in the building while they did this, but the station owner said that is the way his daddy did it for 30 years and why change.
If I have a small spot, I use dish washing detergent and water. I have also used some of the other methods mentioned. I have found the best is to put a brown paper bag on them immediately and it will which the oil out. Timing is everything...

 

[beenthere]

I use WD-40 on the spots, and then a detergent (usually LOC) and lightly scrub the WD-40 and oil off with that. Rinse, and its gone. Both are handy to where the oil spots are, so it is quick and easy.

Sounds like there are many ways to clean the oil from concrete. I will plan to try some of them, and thanks for posting all the suggestions.

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> I find this an interesting subject. When i worked at the gas station in 1962, they would clean the floor with gasoline. I never stayed in the building while they did this, but the station owner said that is the way his daddy did it for 30 years and why change.
</font>

Junk when I was connected to my families Phillips 66 stations we used a dry chemical called Zep-Clean. You threw it down on a pre-wet floor in the service bay and it changed color to a yellow-green. You then broomed it in and rinsed it off and the floor was squeaky clean. It had the consistency of kitty litter and came shipped to us in short drums. I don't think that it is made any longer, at least I haven't seen it for years. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif