Can Oil Stains Be Removed From Concrete?

Fresh, Wet Stains

• Absorb fresh oil as quickly as possible using cat litter. Spread a thick layer of cat litter onto the spot and grind it into the spot with your feet. Let the cat litter sit on the spot for 24 hours so that it can absorb as much of the oil as possible. Pick up the cat litter with a broom and dust pan and dispose of it in accordance with your city’s oil disposal laws.

Stubborn Stains

• Remove small stains with oven cleaner. Spray the stain with cleaner and let it sit for six to seven hours. Return and spray the stain down with water. Repeat as needed until the oil stain is gone. Oven cleaner is a toxic chemical, so keep children and pets away from the area until you’ve rinsed it clean.

Small Stains

• Treat stubborn stains in the concrete the same way you treat them on your clothes. Saturate the spot with a heavy-duty spot remover and let it sit for three hours. Next, add some extra-strength powdered laundry detergent and a little water to the spot. Work it in with a push broom until you have a good lather going. Spray off the concrete and repeat as needed.

Large Stains

• If the stain is so large that treating it by hand is impractical, it’s time to use a modern chemical breakthrough known as a microbial cleaner. Microbial cleaners are made up of microorganisms that feed on oil. Pour the cleaner on the spot and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours. The microorganisms will eat all the oil and turn it into carbon dioxide. Once all the oil is gone, the microorganisms die and you have clean concrete.