How To Cleanup Oil Spill On Concrete
Some oil stains are simply little spills or spots, whereas different concrete surfaces are more heavily contaminated. The size of the oil stain and its age will determine how difficult it’s to get rid of . Cleaning oil from concrete may require a little trial and error to determine the best method for your situation.
Here’s the ways to treat a fresh oil spill :
- Wipe off excess oil : Wipe off the oil with a rag or soak it up with a quart.
- Rub with a paste : Use baking soda or washing powder and water to dissolve the oil stain. Rinse with water.
- Wash with soap : Soap Washing Detergent and a scrubbing brush are often effective on new oil stains. Flush concrete until it is clean.
These are the four best ways to get rid of old oil stains from concrete:
- Wash away the oil with a robust detergent, and a scrub brush or sponge
- Use a concrete cleaner or degreaser to loosen and take away the oil
- Apply a poultice which will break down the oil and suck it from the concrete
- Let special single-celled microorganisms eat up the oil
There are a number of chemical methods for removing oil or grease (both hydrocarbon-based materials) from concrete. Learn more about each of those approaches below.
- Removing Oil With a Detergent : Sometimes it’s possible to get rid of small spots or stains with nothing quite a robust detergent, a brush and a sponge.
- Using Concrete Cleaner or Degreaser : A more aggressive method is to use a commercially available concrete cleaner or degreaser, a concentrated alkaline soap that rubs into the concrete surface. The soap acts like ball bearings and loosens the oil for easier extraction. The downside is that typical degreasers don’t. They actually break down oil, so that they won’t work well on concrete that’s heavily soiled or has long been contaminated. They are also more effective on porous concrete than on concrete with a hard or dense surface.
- Cleaning Oil Stains With a Poultice : Another common treatment for removing oil stains from concrete is a poultice, mainly used on small, stubborn stains, done by soaking an absorbent material (such as cat litter, pool filter media, or sawdust) with a robust solvent (acetone), xylene, lacquer thinner or MEK) & then brush the fabric over the stain. Cover the poultice with plastic and let the osmosis process take over. The solvent degrades the oil and the absorbent material soaks it out of the process, which is time-consuming and may not be cost-effective or practical for removing large stains.
- Use Microorganisms to Get Oil Out of Concrete: The latest development in oil stain removal from concrete involves the use of special unicellular microorganisms that thrive on crude oil and its derivatives and eat them like candy. Enzymes and oxygen digest the oil and convert it into carbon dioxide and other microorganisms. The food source (oil) disappears, the microorganisms die, the concrete remains clean and oil-free. This is the same technology used to clean up beaches and waterways after major oil spills.
To avoid oil stains:
- Have your car checked for oil drops
- Seal the concrete with an oil-resistant product (see Concrete Driveway Seals)
- Get a carpet of oil to protect your garage floor
