Concrete Floor Cleaner

[Guest]

While sifting through Basscliff's very excellent resource site today, I noted on one procedure which resulted in some spillage of hydrocarbons (oil) on his garage floor.....we all experience this.

I noted that he was going to use simple green to do the cleanup (great stuff). However, I use cement powder (or a simple bagged sand grout) as a cleanup trick. Spread enough on the spill to show no more absorption showing through, and leave it for a couple of hours. Then broom it back and forth a few times to mix and pick up residual oil, scoop it up, and dispose of it in a suitable manner (on a gravelly part of the driveway, for instance....sshhhh, don't tell the EPA).

Some years ago, my brother-in-law had an old Taurus that marked territory quite enthusiastically (3 litres over night on my concrete drive). Grout mix took care of the spill, and you'd never know that the Exon Valdez had been in my driveway to this day.

[Zooks]

They're called 'character marks' and should be left there. Think of them as garage / driveway tattoos.

[Octain]

While sifting through Basscliff's very excellent resource site today, I noted on one procedure which resulted in some spillage of hydrocarbons (oil) on his garage floor.....we all experience this.

I noted that he was going to use simple green to do the cleanup (great stuff). However, I use cement powder (or a simple bagged sand grout) as a cleanup trick. Spread enough on the spill to show no more absorption showing through, and leave it for a couple of hours. Then broom it back and forth a few times to mix and pick up residual oil, scoop it up, and dispose of it in a suitable manner (on a gravelly part of the driveway, for instance....sshhhh, don't tell the EPA).

Some years ago, my brother-in-law had an old Taurus that marked territory quite enthusiastically (3 litres over night on my concrete drive). Grout mix took care of the spill, and you'd never know that the Exon Valdez had been in my driveway to this day.

A good quality epoxy paint and anything including oil will just wipe up with a cloth.

[Turtleface]

I've had pretty good results with el cheapo kitty litter.

[Runningdog]

"They're called 'character marks' and should be left there. Think of them as garage / driveway tattoos."

Must be a generational thing....folks of my vintage, in mainstream life, don't get tattoos...............

[dpep]

I've had pretty good results with el cheapo kitty litter.

+1. But it has to be the cheap stuff--store brand, bottom shelf, big bag, cheap. The higher cost stuff is of a different texture and does not work nearly as well. I have a neighbor who was a wrench in the Navy; his facility was a big kitty litter user.

[Zooks]

'Kitty litter' is what chemical / oil spill kits are made of. It's made from diatomaceous earth (algae fossil) that is very absorbent.

[tkent02]

We've all been using cheap kitty litter forever, it gets up the oil but not really the stain. I wonder if the concrete cement or sand grout that this thread started with might work better?
Maybe it works really good...
Worth a try.

[ramrod400]

I use cheap kitty litter and oil dry, on the stain I use something mostly my boots and smash it down and work it around and no sign of oil spill at all,but I cant do anything without making a mess

[Zooks]

If you use something to 're-activate' the remaining part of the stain (like turps, petrol, kero etc) you'll get most of it out with a 2nd attempt.