Home Inspectors Advice On Cleaning Oil Stains From Concrete
Removing Oil stains from your concrete flooring can be easy. You can use commercial cleaners, a strong detergent, or dry Portland cement to remove them. Some products you may already have in your own home, other products may need to be purchased from your local Rochester MN hardware or automotive store.
Commercial cleaners that are labeled for use as driveway or cement cleaners are available at most hardware or automotive stores. These are usually solvent-based and require you to scrub the solvent into the oil stain. . Follow all directions on the product.
You may wish to use a product that can be washed off with water. Most strong detergents will remove oil stains. Trying a slightly diluted liquid detergent is recommended. Other detergent cleaners that work well include Spic and Span, Soilax, and Mex. A strong detergent such as TSP can also remove most oil stains if applied with a stiff scrub brush. After applying the detergent, scrub the spot several times and rinse with water. For tough stains we recommend letting the detergent solution soak into the stain for several hours, scrubbing every so often, and then rinsing. Let the cleaner do the work. You may need to try several applications if the stain remains.
You can also pour dry Portland cement or hydraulic cement on the oil stain. Rub the cement in with a broom, brush, or even your shoe and let it stand overnight. The cement will draw the oil out of the concrete. Simply sweep up the residue and repeat as necessary until the stain is no longer visible. If the stain remains, you can dampen the powder after sweeping. The cement will bond with the surface to freshen the appearance. Use Eyewear protection and cover your skin when working with cement. The fine powder can cause damage.
Take all safety precautions when using any of the cleaners described above as they can contain strong chemicals.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com