I have new tenants moving into a townhouse I own, and the garage floor
looks bad after 27 years of oil stains etc. I tried pressure washing it,
but it really made no difference since I guess the oil has soaked in.

What are the options here? Paint, those garage floor squares? Or is
there a chemical cleaner I should try?

SMS wrote:
I have new tenants moving into a townhouse I own, and the garage floor
looks bad after 27 years of oil stains etc. I tried pressure washing it,
but it really made no difference since I guess the oil has soaked in.

What are the options here? Paint, those garage floor squares? Or is
there a chemical cleaner I should try?

For soaked in oil stains I have used

QUIKRETE 1.5-Gallon Oil & Stain Remover

available at Lowes

Goes on wet, brush in, let dry , sweep up

repeat if necessary

On May 13, 9:13*pm, SMS wrote:
I have new tenants moving into a townhouse I own, and the garage floor
looks bad after 27 years of oil stains etc. I tried pressure washing it,
but it really made no difference since I guess the oil has soaked in.

What are the options here? Paint, those garage floor squares? Or is
there a chemical cleaner I should try?

I thought everyone knew, paint wont bond to oil

On May 14, 6:55*am, ransley wrote:
On May 13, 9:13*pm, SMS wrote:

I have new tenants moving into a townhouse I own, and the garage floor
looks bad after 27 years of oil stains etc. I tried pressure washing it,
but it really made no difference since I guess the oil has soaked in.

What are the options here? Paint, those garage floor squares? Or is
there a chemical cleaner I should try?

I thought everyone knew, paint wont bond to oil

Yes, exactly. As Reed suggested, I'd try using one of the cleaners
specifically made to remove oil from concrete. Since it's that bad
after 27 years, I would not attempt painting it even after cleaning it.

On May 14, 6:50*am, wrote:
On May 14, 6:55*am, ransley wrote:

On May 13, 9:13*pm, SMS wrote:

I have new tenants moving into a townhouse I own, and the garage floor
looks bad after 27 years of oil stains etc. I tried pressure washing it,
but it really made no difference since I guess the oil has soaked in.

What are the options here? Paint, those garage floor squares? Or is
there a chemical cleaner I should try?

I thought everyone knew, paint wont bond to oil

Yes, exactly. *As Reed suggested, I'd try using one of the cleaners
specifically made to remove oil from concrete. *Since it's that bad
after 27 years, I would not attempt painting it even after cleaning it.

My garage floor was so crapped up from leaking oil of 80 years it took
my two workers all day, with 200$ in cleaners and acid, a power
washer, and a floor buffer-scrubber to get it clean to take a finish,
we cleaned, then cleaned again and again. I did it right, 20 years
later the HC oil concrete stain has only worn from traffic, but to
redo it would be a days job to clean it again.

"SMS" wrote in message
...
I have new tenants moving into a townhouse I own, and the garage floor
looks bad after 27 years of oil stains etc. I tried pressure washing it,
but it really made no difference since I guess the oil has soaked in.

What are the options here? Paint, those garage floor squares? Or is there
a chemical cleaner I should try?

yes.....it was around 1975 or so when I was still in high school (showing
my age here) and we were hired to paint a 2 bay garage floor that had
hydraulic vehicle lifts etc where they did oil changes. We used straight
(sulpheric acid) battery acid to lift years of oil stains and stiff bristled
push brooms...rinsed down the drain with water...probably went through three
pairs of old jeans...I remember we painted the floor green...and yes the
paint stuck to the floor for years...probably is still green to this
day..... Jim

I'd have thought that lye based alkalais would help remove
the oil. Oil plus alkalai turns into soap. That's how oven
cleaner works. Actually, I would have tried oven cleaner.

Battery acid.... dangerous.

When I was a kid, my Dad told me his battery acid story. He
was over at a friends house. They went to the cellar for
soemthing, and he absentmindedly sat on a car battery. Two
days later, the seat fell out of his trousers.

One friend of mine had a battery blow up. He was using 12
volt boost setting, and went to wiggle the battery clamps.
He got acid in his eyes. I grabbed hold of him to go in the
house and wash his eyes out (lucky, he can still see). I had
a prompting of the Spirit to wash the coat in hot water and
baking soda. Didn't think I got that much acid on me.
Well.....I got enough acid on my coat, the front fell out
pretty badly. I still have that coat. Shoulda thrown it out,
years ago. I keep it as a reminder to heed the promptings of
the Spirit.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Jim" nospam@wherever wrote in message
...

yes.....it was around 1975 or so when I was still in high
school (showing
my age here) and we were hired to paint a 2 bay garage floor
that had
hydraulic vehicle lifts etc where they did oil changes. We
used straight
(sulpheric acid) battery acid to lift years of oil stains
and stiff bristled
push brooms...rinsed down the drain with water...probably
went through three
pairs of old jeans...I remember we painted the floor
green...and yes the
paint stuck to the floor for years...probably is still green
to this
day..... Jim

I wasn't saying battery acid was "right"... I am still here after
1975....just telling what I used that worked real good back then....LOL... I
have also had a battery explode and know what sulpheric acid feels like in
the eyes....and luckily I can still see also.........Jim




"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I'd have thought that lye based alkalais would help remove
the oil. Oil plus alkalai turns into soap. That's how oven
cleaner works. Actually, I would have tried oven cleaner.

Battery acid.... dangerous.

When I was a kid, my Dad told me his battery acid story. He
was over at a friends house. They went to the cellar for
soemthing, and he absentmindedly sat on a car battery. Two
days later, the seat fell out of his trousers.

One friend of mine had a battery blow up. He was using 12
volt boost setting, and went to wiggle the battery clamps.
He got acid in his eyes. I grabbed hold of him to go in the
house and wash his eyes out (lucky, he can still see). I had
a prompting of the Spirit to wash the coat in hot water and
baking soda. Didn't think I got that much acid on me.
Well.....I got enough acid on my coat, the front fell out
pretty badly. I still have that coat. Shoulda thrown it out,
years ago. I keep it as a reminder to heed the promptings of
the Spirit.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"Jim" nospam@wherever wrote in message
...

yes.....it was around 1975 or so when I was still in high
school (showing
my age here) and we were hired to paint a 2 bay garage floor
that had
hydraulic vehicle lifts etc where they did oil changes. We
used straight
(sulpheric acid) battery acid to lift years of oil stains
and stiff bristled
push brooms...rinsed down the drain with water...probably
went through three
pairs of old jeans...I remember we painted the floor
green...and yes the
paint stuck to the floor for years...probably is still green
to this
day..... Jim

Wouldnt it be funny if the OP got the floor flawlessely clean and a
perspective tenant decided to not rent it because thei vehicle had a
oil leak....

I bet that might happen

On May 14, 11:08*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
I'd have thought that lye based alkalais would help remove
the oil. Oil plus alkalai turns into soap. That's how oven
cleaner works. Actually, I would have tried oven cleaner.

Battery acid.... dangerous.

When I was a kid, my Dad told me his battery acid story. He
was over at a friends house. They went to the cellar for
soemthing, and he absentmindedly sat on a car battery. Two
days later, the seat fell out of his trousers.

One friend of mine had a battery blow up. He was using 12
volt boost setting, and went to wiggle the battery clamps.
He got acid in his eyes. I grabbed hold of him to go in the
house and wash his eyes out (lucky, he can still see). I had
a prompting of the Spirit to wash the coat in hot water and
baking soda. Didn't think I got that much acid on me.
Well.....I got enough acid on my coat, the front fell out
pretty badly. I still have that coat. Shoulda thrown it out,
years ago. I keep it as a reminder to heed the promptings of
the Spirit.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"Jim" nospam@wherever wrote in message

...

* *yes.....it was around 1975 or so when I was still in high
school (showing
my age here) and we were hired to paint a 2 bay garage floor
that had
hydraulic vehicle lifts etc where they did oil changes. We
used straight
(sulpheric acid) battery acid to lift years of oil stains
and stiff bristled
push brooms...rinsed down the drain with water...probably
went through three
pairs of old jeans...I remember we painted the floor
green...and yes the
paint stuck to the floor for years...probably is still green
to this
day..... Jim

Ive found that lye cleans grease better than acid. You have to be very
careful with it

Jimmie

On 14/05/10 3:03 PM, wrote:
Wouldnt it be funny if the OP got the floor flawlessely clean and a
perspective tenant decided to not rent it because thei vehicle had a
oil leak....

I bet that might happen

Okay, then I'm running over there to pour old oil on the floor.

I tried using concrete cleaner today, and it didn't do much of anything.
I'm just going to leave it the way it is.

I don't think they'll care all that much, I just wanted the unit as
clean as possible when the move in.

JIMMIE wrote in news:fc0cceaa-8ec1-4a17-ac77-
:

On May 14, 11:08*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
I'd have thought that lye based alkalais would help remove
the oil. Oil plus alkalai turns into soap. That's how oven
cleaner works. Actually, I would have tried oven cleaner.

Battery acid.... dangerous.

When I was a kid, my Dad told me his battery acid story. He
was over at a friends house. They went to the cellar for
soemthing, and he absentmindedly sat on a car battery. Two
days later, the seat fell out of his trousers.

One friend of mine had a battery blow up. He was using 12
volt boost setting, and went to wiggle the battery clamps.
He got acid in his eyes. I grabbed hold of him to go in the
house and wash his eyes out (lucky, he can still see). I had
a prompting of the Spirit to wash the coat in hot water and
baking soda. Didn't think I got that much acid on me.
Well.....I got enough acid on my coat, the front fell out
pretty badly. I still have that coat. Shoulda thrown it out,
years ago. I keep it as a reminder to heed the promptings of
the Spirit.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"Jim" nospam@wherever wrote in message

...

* *yes.....it was around 1975 or so when I was still in high
school (showing
my age here) and we were hired to paint a 2 bay garage floor
that had
hydraulic vehicle lifts etc where they did oil changes. We
used straight
(sulpheric acid) battery acid to lift years of oil stains
and stiff bristled
push brooms...rinsed down the drain with water...probably
went through three
pairs of old jeans...I remember we painted the floor
green...and yes the
paint stuck to the floor for years...probably is still green
to this
day..... Jim

Ive found that lye cleans grease better than acid. You have to be very
careful with it

Jimmie

Lye would work on organic grease, lard and such, by hydrolyzing the fatty
acids of the glycerol. If Lye works on mineral oils in concrete, it's
probably beacause it dissolves a bit of the concrete. At least that's
how acid would work. Since sulfuric acid is rather oxidizing, it might
work better than hydrochloric (=muriatic), but it would also be more
dangerous. Lye is more dangerous than acid to your eyes, because lye
dissolves proteins and keeps eating them, whereas acid denaures proteins,
yielding a sort of protective layer.
DAMHIKT (40 years ago).

--
Best regards
Han
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