Oil and concrete (spill)

[Thee_oddball]

I made a mess when i tried to change the oil on my bike (another post and story) I was wondering if anyone could suggest a solvent to break down the oil so i can power wash it off...i already used a power washer today but it only removed about %20


thnx for any help

[GARTHXS]

detergent

try some powdered tide , a little water scrub and let it sit for a couple of hours wet than scrub and rinse.

[bikerphil]

I use Pour 'N Restore. This stuff works great, it sucks the oil right out of concrete. About $9 at Ace Hardware.

http://www.pour-n-restore.com/oilstain.htm

[fredintoon]

Hi oddball,
Just because I never heard of pour'n'restore don't mean it don't work but TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) works too. Sprinkle the crystals on the oil stain, wet down a coarse broom and scrub to make a slurry. Then blast clean with the pressure washer.

[CatatonicBug]

I just keep a bag of oil dry (the cheap kitty-litter stuff) in the area were I'm working. In fact there is a pile under my bike most of the time. If I make a spill, I scoop up a handful and pour it over the spill. I let it soak a bit, then do a little dance on the pile to rub it into the oil. After a day or two of sitting, I just sweep it out of the way, and re-use it for the next spill. It doesn't necessarily clean up the "stain" but it picks up the oil and allows me to keep working.

[D. P. Larmee]

I second the kitty litter. Don't use the clumping kind; the good old regular stuff is the best. I always have a big bag in the garage for just this sort of thing.

[petejw]

i'm a kitty litter fan as well and i dont have a cat. :-)
its cheap ands absorbs the oil well.

[Bowtied]

Drive up cleaner. Available at autozone (and other auto parts stores i'm sure. I work at autozone so i know it's there). Pour it on the stain and let it sit (preferably over night but not necesary) then just power was it away. Bout 7 8 bucks and your done. Cheap and easy.

[tw1980]

"Oil Eater"in the automotive section at Costco.It also does a great job on tires and raised white letters or white walls. Terry

[HobbyMan]

My $.02
Throw some soap and kitty litter on it. Not much you can do. At home, I just always work in the same spot (usually), so that it gets stained and I don't have to worry about it. When I was on my ship working on steel decks, the best thing you could do was lay cardboard down before you do a job involving fuel or lube oil. If not, you will track it everywhere. Oily decks are very dangerous, especially when the ship is pitching and rolling. The fuel we burn out at sea looks like used motor oil (only much more viscous) with dirt mixed in so you can imagine how much of a mess it makes.

[Ivan]

Best way to clean an oil stain is use MEK, douse it down really well and then absorb it with floor dry (most of the time cheaper than kitty litter, but the same stuff). In the absence of MEK carb cleaner will dilute it enough that the floor dry will get it up.

[Thee_oddball]

Gentleman thank you very much for your responses, i feel alot better knowing there is a way to clean up the mess (will make my landlord happy too )

thnx again

[HobbyMan]

One more suggestion for future use.
A big sacrificial carpet. I have some old carpet that got ripped out of a house that I threw in the garage. I will soak up a little drips here and there and it makes working on your bike much more comfortable when you have to kneel or lay down on the ground.

[Thee_oddball]

One more suggestion for future use.
A big sacrificial carpet. I have some old carpet that got ripped out of a house that I threw in the garage. I will soak up a little drips here and there and it makes working on your bike much more comfortable when you have to kneel or lay down on the ground.

thnx hobby, i had cardboard and 2 large cans ready for the oil..what i was not ready for was the half gallon plus of gas that had leaking into the oil from the carbs shot out like a fire hose and over loaded my cans before i could do anything ...ive decided that to avoid this problem im going to put 80W axle grease instead of oil in the bike so it wont shoot out next time

[DiverRay]

To keep the landlord happy, try and find a little bag of dry cement. Sprinkle that on the spill, let sit for a day or two, and sweep what's left off. It will "take away" the oil stain.