How Do You Get Oil Stains Out Of Concrete

By Matt Oden | Comments | Oil and Wax Stains → Motor Oil | Surface Stains

Just how do you get oil stains out of concrete? Whether the stain is from your own vehicle’s unlucky leak, or from the previous owner of your house, oil stains in the concrete of your driveway or even your back porch can be unsightly and even very irritating. Naturally the earlier that you can treat the stain, the better luck you will have at completely removing it from your concrete surfaces. All is not lost, however, if the stain is older.

An oil stain on your driveway or your patio can be an unsightly mess to see every time you go outside. If you find yourself staring at it, wondering “how do you get oil stains out of concrete?” then you have come to the right place. Oil stains can be particularly tricky, because of just how messy they are. There are a few things that you can try before you start to consider taking a jackhammer to it all.

How Do You Get Oil Stains Out Of Concrete Using Cat Litter?

What You Will Need Before You Start

Fresh non clumping cat litter
Newspaper
Dish detergent
Scrubbing brush
Broom and dustpan

Believe it or not, cat litter can actually be a very useful thing to keep around the house if you are prone to spills that require heavy cleanup. With its properties for quickly absorbing any type of liquid, it can make short work of even a heavy oil spill on your concrete surface.

Lay newspaper down on top of the fresh oil stain to completely cover it.
Place a thick layer of cat litter on top of the newspaper.
Allow the newspaper and cat litter to absorb excess liquid, over the course of several hours.
Use your broom and dustpan to clean up the cat litter, and then dispose of the newspaper along with it.
There is likely to still be an oil residue on the concrete, so apply a generous coating of Dawn dish detergent.
Allow the dish detergent to work its way into the stain, for up to twenty minutes, and then start scrubbing at the stain with the scrubbing brush.

It could take a fair amount of elbow grease to work at the stain, but you should have good luck at removing a good amount of the oil stain. There have also been several cases where people have been able to answer the frustrated question of “How do you get oil stains out of concrete?” with diatomaceous earth instead of kitty litter. Just be sure to wear a face mask to avoid breathing in the DE.

How Do You Get Oil Stains Out Of Concrete Using Oven Cleaner?

What You Will Need Before You Start

Your preferred brand of spray oven cleaner
Wire bristle scrubbing brush
Power washer or hose set to the strongest jet spray
Non clumping cat litter
Newspaper

The inside of your oven is often exposed to an array of oils and greases, which means that any product used to clean the inside of your oven should be effective at breaking the oils down so they can be removed. So how do you get oil stains out of concrete using oven cleaner? The cleaner’s ability to break down oils can often translate into the ability to break down the oils staining your concrete surface.

Soak up any excess spilled oil with cat litter, or newspaper, if the stain is fresh.
Spray a generous amount of oven cleaner onto the stain and allow it to set for up to ten minutes.
If the oven cleaner has dried on the stain then you can spray a bit more onto the stain and start scrubbing with your wire brush.
You should start to see the stain lift up within a very short amount of time. You can use more newspaper to blot up the soiled oven cleaner, or use shop towels.
Keep applying another coating of oven cleaner until you start to see the results that you are looking for.
Spray the area thoroughly, using your power washer.

If the stain persists, then you could consider another round of the oven cleaning solution method, or move onto another option to try and help you get oil stains out of concrete.

How Do You Get Oil Stains Out Of Concrete Using Industrial Cleaners?

What You Will Need Before You Start

Face mask
Industrial cleaning solution
Newspaper
Non clumping cat litter
Wire bristled scrubbing brush

When you ask a clerk at your local hardware store, “How do you get oil stains out of concrete?” you are likely to be pointed to an aisle filled with dozens of industrial strength cleaning solutions for oil removal. It is important to note that you should always follow the manufacturer’s directions in order to get the best and safest results.

Start by soaking up any excess oil from the concrete if the spill is fresh, using the cat litter and newspaper.
Wearing your face mask so that you don’t breathe in too much fumes, apply the industrial strength cleaning solution. You may need to also wear protective gloves.
Scrub at the stain using your wire brush, and use the newspaper to blot up the soiled liquid.
Continue scrubbing until you have achieved the desired results.

With so many solvents and cleaning solutions on the market, it can be very tempting to combine several of them when you are cleaning. However, it can be very dangerous to combine potentially combustible cleaning solutions, and it can also create potentially lethal fumes. Always follow the instructions that are included with the industrial strength cleaning products that you try.

A lot of people have also reported having good luck at removing oil stains from concrete using a strong laundry detergent to make a paste and place on the stain. Be sure that you avoid using anything that could potentially become a fire hazard, like gasoline. Several people recommend using gasoline, but all it would take is one small spark from your wire brush to cause an accident.

How do you get oil stains out of concrete, when the stains are proving to be incredibly stubborn? If all of your attempts have failed, and the stain is bothering you that much, then you could consider staining the concrete on purpose, with a concrete staining product that will give it a much more even tone.