I am looking for a way to clean oil stains off concrete garage floors. Was thinking of using the swiming pool muriatic acid diluted with water. ANy other ways that work?
hydrochloric (muriatic) acid isn't a degreaser. Brake cleaner (chlorinated contains perc - same stuff used at many dry cleaners), brake fluid, dawn dish detergent & water, alcohol (isopropyl) are all options depending upon the contaminant.
Acids won't touch the oil. You need either a strong detergent or a solvent or both.
Others have suggested Brake cleaners with Perc. It works well, but use it with plenty of ventilation. It also has a habit of evaporating before you've had a chance to wipe up the oil, so it just moves the oil around. Light oil-based solvents like Varsol or other parts-washer fluids work pretty well at removing the engine oil, but they'll still leave their own oily residue.
Whenever I clean my garage floor stains (if I bother...) I use a solvent first (kerosene or varsol) and then clean that up with Simple Green or a similar strong detergent and water.
Also, please use gloves. Varsol says to use neoprene gloves. Use plenty of ventilation with it as well. The permissible exposure level (PEL) for both tetrachloroethylene (perc) and Varsol is 300 ppm for an 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA). Isopropyl alcohol is 400 ppm. Nothing to get scared about for sure especially with your isolated use, but no reason not to act appropriately.
Acid will eat the top layer of concrete off leaving a rough, more porus surface, don't do it. Brake cleaner works great, spray it on and wipe with rag before it evaporates. Use with good ventilation.
The method I use is to put clay cat litter on the stain, then use the face of a sledge hammer to (gently) pound the litter into the floor, then leave it on for 24 hours. After this is done, sweep it up and repeat two more times.
Originally Posted By: Samilcar
The method I use is to put clay cat litter on the stain, then use the face of a sledge hammer to (gently) pound the litter into the floor, then leave it on for 24 hours. After this is done, sweep it up and repeat two more times.
I likee.
I grind it into the floor with my foot, the grinding breaks the litter up into smaller pieces and gets in in contact with the oil. That works too.
I'll try the sledge method next time I have a serious oil stain
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I grind it into the floor with my foot, the grinding breaks the litter up into smaller pieces and gets in in contact with the oil. That works too.
That's a process I picked up in the trade. Works well when you're down to the porous soaked in stuff. The gross stuff, if I didn't have a soaker pad in place ahead of time (newspaper/pig pad), I just repeatedly sweeping it back and forth to get the most out of the stuff.
Never thought of the sledge hammer technique. Normally I just throw on Chubby Checker and start dancing.
If it's an oil stain on the concrete driveway I grind it in and just let it sit there until nature takes it's course and blows it away. By the time it's gone, so is the stain.
you might want to try AJAX with GRAPEFRUIT dish detergent . Works well after oil changes on the hands or on car to remove road grime from rocker panels , etc..