How to Remove Oil Stains from Garage Floor

In this article I will show you how to remove oil stains from garage floor. Regardless of how careful you are while cleaning your cars in your garage, you might still notice a few oil stains on the floors. Cleaning the dust from the floors may be easy, but getting rid of the oil stains may not be all that easy. However, there is no need to panic and try on hands on different degreasing chemicals. In this article, we will answer some of your questions relating to “How to remove oil stains from garage floor”, “How to remove old oil stains from driveway” and more.

You may have different questions in your mind about using the right products when it comes to cleaning the oil stains from garage floors by yourself. Here, you can find answers to some of these questions:

How to remove oil stains from concrete with coke

You might be surprised to know that a bottle of Coke can help you get rid of oil stains from concrete floors in your garage, driveway and other places. Here are the steps to follow to get this process right:

• Whether the oil stains are fresh or old, it would be a good idea to soak up the stains well for about 30 to 60 minutes, as this helps in loosening the stains well. You can pour a few drops of liquid or laundry detergent over the grease stains to soak them up as much as possible before treating them with coke.
• If the oil stains are fresh, some of them may already go away when you soak them with the detergent. You can use Coke to treat the remaining stains, in this case.
• Pour room-temperature cola over the soaked stains. Use a hard-bristled toothbrush or a scrub brush to scrub the stain marks.
• Keep scrubbing in circular motions, and you will notice the soil stains lifting from the floor. Leave the cola on the stains for about 30 minutes.
• Mop the floors thoroughly after 30 minutes, if all the stains have come off. If you still notice some stubborn oil stains on the garage floors, you can follow the cola step once again, and scrub thoroughly.
• Rinse the floors after mopping them. This will help to get rid of the smell of the cola and the floor cleaner (if used) during mopping.

Have you ever wondered how Coke helps to get rid of oil stains? It is because the citric acid in the drink acts effectively to break down the molecules in the stains and remove them easily from concrete floors.

Will WD-40 remove oil stains from concrete floors?

If you invest in a bottle of WD 40, it will go a long way in helping you remove oil stains from most surfaces, including concrete floors, driveways and garage floors. WD 40 has very powerful ingredients that can get right into the grease/oil stains and help to break them down.

Spray a generous quantity of WD-40 on the oil stains on your garage floors. Let the chemical remain on the stains for about 20 to 30 minutes. If the stains are quite dry and deep, you can allow WD 40 to sit on them for 60 minutes. Use a soft and clean cloth to wipe off the stains, and you will notice that the stains have lifted off the floors completely.

Does vinegar remove oil stains from concrete?

The acetic properties of vinegar make it a wonderful cleaning agent.  If you notice oil stains on your concrete or garage floors, you can get rid of them easily with the help of a DIY cleaning solution.

Mix a few drops of dish soap with half a cup of vinegar and water to make an effective but simple solution. Apply this mixture to the oil stains on the concrete, and remember to sprinkle some sawdust on the marks. Sawdust is an effective agent to absorb the oil stains from concrete. Let the mixture remain there for about 30 minutes. After half an hour, use a clean cloth to wipe off the solution and sawdust. You will notice that the stains have disappeared.

How to remove oil stains from concrete with Baking Soda

Baking soda, a common ingredient in your kitchens, is one of the most effective agents when it comes to getting rid of hard stains. Whether the oil stains on your concrete floors are fresh or old, you can use baking soda to get rid of them. You can baking soda in different ways to get rid of the stains depending on their freshness and size.

One simple method goes this way – Apply a generous quantity of baking soda all over the stain marks. Use a scrubbing brush to scrub over the stains for a few minutes. After a few minutes of scrubbing, leave the powder to remain on the stains for an hour. Rinse the area thoroughly after an hour to get rid of the smell of baking soda and oil stains. This method works well for fresh stains.

Here is another method to use baking soda for removing oil stains from concrete – Use an absorbent material like laundry detergent, cat litter, or sawdust to soak up the stains for about 30 minutes. Make a paste by mixing baking soda and water. Apply this paste on the soaked-up stains, and start scrubbing with a brush to see the stains lifting off easily.

Some points to note

• When using scrubbing brushes on concrete floors, always use gentle brushes like the nylon ones. Wire brushes can damage the surface of the floors.
• Even if the oil stains are fresh, it is a good idea to use an absorbent material to soak up these stains before you use cleaning agents like WD40, vinegar, baking soda and more. This will help to loosen the grease marks easily, and clean the floors thoroughly, without leaving any traces.
• If you plan to clean cars in your garage, you can invest in a packet of cheap clay cat litter. Cat litter is one of the most absorbent materials you can use to soak up the stains, and make it easier to be treated by other products.
• If you don’t have any cleaning agents mentioned here, you can use your regular powdered laundry detergent too. Make a paste of detergent powder and warm water. Apply this paste over the oil stains for about 15 minutes, and then scrub well to remove the stains.