Concrete has been the American homeowners choice of garage flooring solution for decades now. But bare concrete isn't all its cracked up to be. Without a sufficient epoxy resin flooring system installed, concrete is vulnerable to a few key threats. Some of these can create foundational issues, but others are just aesthetic. The garage is a prime location for spilled oil to accumulate - and concrete simply isn't able to resist seepage and staining.
And spilled oil won't be just an aesthetic issue if left untreated. If the oil seeps further into the concrete, it will cause future complications with your concrete foundation.
Essential Tools for Removing Oil Stains from Concrete
There's only a few tools you really need to clean concrete oil stains. The quality of your concrete degreaser / concrete cleaning solution is essential. Here are our recommendations:
- Concrete Degreaser / Concrete Cleaning Solution
- Stiff Brush
- Pressure Washer (Optional)
- Protective Gear
Best Methods to Clean Oil from Concrete
Step 1: Initial Clean & Preparing the Floor
Clear the area of debris and wear protective gear. For fresh stains, address them promptly with a rag and baking soda. The quicker you can get to the stain, the more success you'll have.
Oil spills that are left alone for too long will seep into your concrete foundations. That doesn't just mean that they're harder to clean, but also could imply future complications for your concrete.
If your spill isn't solved by a once-over wipe down, you'll need to bring out the heavy duty tools.
Step 2: Scrubbing the Floor
Apply a concrete degreaser / cleaning solution and scrub vigorously using a stiff brush. It should be a fairly simple process, but read your solution's manual just in case. Oil stains can be hardy, so you will need to scrub hard, but you should still attempt to minimize any surface damage to the concrete.
The chemical degreaser / cleaner should do most of the work for you. If you've scrubbed and scrubbed and some stains refuse to come out, try pressure washing.
Step 3: Pressure Wash (Optional)
If needed, use a pressure washer with caution to remove stubborn stains. This should be considered a near-last resort. The extra abrasiveness from the pressure washer is more likely to cause surface damage to your concrete.
You may still have stains after you've exposed more of the oil to the surface & treated some of the sub-surface staining. If this is the case for you, go over it again with your preferred concrete solution.
Step 4: Rinsing the Floor
Rinse the concrete with room temperature water and wash away any leftover chemical solutions. Mop the floor, and be thorough! Concrete cleaning solutions may not be harsh enough to ruin your floors, but they could cause issues nonetheless if not completely cleaned.
And with that, you're knocking on the door of success!
Final Steps
You should now have a completely clean, oil-free concrete floor! Consider installing an epoxy resin topcoat to prevent oil stains & seepage in the future. Epoxy resin is the gold-standard for garages & driveways across America.
If you find that your issues are much more stubborn than you expected, it may be time to consider a more intensive grinding operation to free up the stuck oil. If the oil stain is significant, it may even be time to consider replacement of the concrete foundation.
Conclusion
Cleaning spilled oil on your concrete foundation isn't just about keeping up appearances. Oil can lead to significant foundational issues in the future if it's allowed to accumulate. So, deal with it quickly, thoroughly, and carefully. With this guide, you should be prepared to handle any oil or chemical spill on your concrete!
Xtreme Polishing Systems (XPS) is your hub for all things epoxy and concrete flooring! If you need help on the job or just help finding the best tools for your projects, our technicians are only a call away at (877) 958-5264 to help you.
