How to Effortlessly Remove Oil and Grease Stains from a Garage Floor

Stains on your garage floor are unsightly and they can be an embarrassment. However, many people simply live with the stains or try to find a way to cover them up with mats. Fortunately, you will actually be able to remove a number of stains with a variety of different methods.

They are relatively easy, but you do need to put in some time and effort to make the stains vanish. Since concrete has a number of pores, the grease and oil can seep into the floor, so you will be doing plenty of scrubbing, and it can take a different amount of time to remove the stain depending on the type and the size.

Using Laundry Soap

If you have a new stain or you are trying to deal with a spill that just happened, then you might want to try powdered laundry soap. It works quite well, and many people, including NASCAR, employ this method for cleaning their floors.

The first thing you will want to do is get up as much of the oil or grease as you can by blotting it. This works well for fresh stains. Then, you will mix the laundry soap into a couple of gallons of warm water. Mix the solution until it is nice and soapy. Pour this mixture directly onto the stain, and then add even more of the powdered soap. You will want to let this soak into the stain for about five minutes.

Now, you will want to use a stiff‑bristled nylon brush to scrub the stain. Once you finish scrubbing, rinse away the soapy water. You can use a garden hose for this if you have one available. Once it dries, look at the spot of the stain, and you should see that it is gone. If some of the stain remains, you can repeat the process.

Environmentally Friendly Degreasers

Another high quality option for removing stains on your garage floor is a professional degreaser. Again, you want to remove any excess oil by blotting if you can. Place the degreaser onto a trowel or a similar tool and spread it onto the stain. Now, you will want to wait for it to dry. Wait until the degreaser becomes a powder, this generally takes around eight hours. Finally, sweep up the powder. The stain should be gone, but it may take a couple of days for the entire stain area to dry and vanish completely.

Industrial Degreasers

You will use these degreasers in much the same way as you would the environmentally friendly option. These are typically much stronger though, so they may work more quickly. The only disadvantages are that they are not environmentally friendly and they generally cost a bit more. When you are using the degreasers, you want to make sure you are using protection for your eyes and hands. Also make sure you have plenty of ventilation.

Brewing Up Homemade Solutions

You can also find some simple home solutions for removing stains. Some people use WD‑40, a mixture of sawdust and paint thinner, and kitty litter to help remove stains. Pouring mineral spirits onto the stain can work as well. Just let it sit on the stain for a couple of minutes, and then scrub with a nylon brush. Then, place some newspaper onto the area and let it dry. After it dries, you can wash the stain with a mixture of one cup of bleach and one cup or detergent mixes with a gallon of warm water.

Of course, these are just some of the ways you can remove stains from your floor. You can try plenty of other stain removing remedies out there to find what’s best for you. As long as you don’t mind some scrubbing, you should not have a problem at all!

If you find that you also want to have a new garage door to help make your garage even more pleasing to the eye now that you’ve removed the stains, make sure you get in touch with us and we’ll provide you with a free quote.