Oil on cement?

Susan
by Susan
Unfortunately, one of our renters parked a car which was dripping oil in our garage and now the stain seems to be permanent no matter how much we scrub? Any ideas about how to remove it? Thanks so much for coming to a frustrated landlord's rescue. ..

  11 answers
  • Chriss Grijak Chriss Grijak on Sep 18, 2017

    We have found that if we cover the oil spill with kitty litter helps. Just wait a couple of days then sweep it away and the stain will be gone. Good luck!

  • Lucyof ak Lucyof ak on Sep 18, 2017

    Try Dawn dish detergent, full strength, let it soak in for at least 24 hours, add water and scrub again. Repeat if necessary. Dawn will takeout stains that have been washed and dried in a dryer, put dawn and let sit for a couple days then launder. If that works it's worth a try for you.

  • Keylebirnberg Keylebirnberg on Sep 18, 2017

    OIL STAIN THE WHOLE GARAGE TO MAKE IT EVEN COLOR GRAY

  • Chubby58 Chubby58 on Sep 18, 2017

    Put a lot of baking soda on the spot, leave it their for a couple days. It will absorb a lot of the oil.

  • Cindy Cindy on Sep 18, 2017

    I agree with Chrissgrijak. Try putting clay kitty litter on the stain. Let it set for a day or two. The kitty litter should absorb the oil. Repeat if necessary.

  • William William on Sep 18, 2017

    WD-40. Did a leaky oil pan leave a big ugly spot in the middle of your concrete driveway? To get rid of an unsightly oil spot, just spray it with a generous amount of WD-40 and then hose it down with water.


    Soda (Coca Cola). Hereā€™s how to remove oil stains from concrete drive-ways and garage floors: Gather up a small bag of cat litter, a few cans of cola, a stiff bristle broom, bucket, laundry detergent, bleach, eye protection, and rubber gloves. Cover the stain with a thin layer of cat litter and brush it in. Sweep up the litter and pour cola to cover the area. Work the cola in with a bristle broom, and leave the cola for about twenty minutes. Mix 1/4 cup laundry detergent with 1/4 cup bleach in 1 gallon (3.7 liters) warm water and use it to mop up the mess.


    Oven Cleaner. Get those unsightly grease, oil, and transmission fluid stains off your concrete driveway or garage floor. Spray them with Easy Off No Fume Oven Cleaner in the BLUE can. Let it settle for 5-10 minutes, then scrub with a stiff brush and rinse it off with your garden hose at its highest pressure. Severe stains may require a second application.


    Kool-Aid. Nasty rust stains on your concrete? Mix unsweetened lemonade Kool-Aid with hot water. Scrub and the rust stain should come right out.


    Baking Soda. Salt and commercial ice-melt formulations can stain ā€” or actually eat away ā€” the concrete around your house. For an effective, but completely innocuous, way to melt the ice on your steps and walkways during those cold winter months, try sprinkling them with generous amounts of baking soda. Add some sand for improved traction.


    Ammonia. Tired of those annoying discolorations on your concrete work? To get rid of them, scrub with 1 cup ammonia diluted in 1 gallon (3.7 liters) water. Hose it down well when youā€™re done.

  • Susan Susan on Sep 19, 2017

    Thanks to everyone who responded. I figure before we are finished with this enterprise, we will have tried every one of your suggestions! Really appreciate the advice and direction. Fingers are crossed. ..Susan

  • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on Apr 10, 2021

    So sorry to hear that Susan. Start with applying oil dry or clay cat litter. Let sit to absorb as much as possible. Sweep away. You may want to repeat this step a few times if it's saturated. Then apply a degreaser and pressure wash. You can also use a good cleaner degreaser from the automotive store and a stiff broom.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 10, 2021

    Hi Susan,

    Please see all the advice given to others today for this problem.

  • Maybe a cement acid cleaner