Removing Old Oil Stains from Concrete

It can be pretty annoying to move into a new for you home, and find all kinds of old oil stains on your concrete driveway. In fact, it can be almost as annoying as coming home from work one day and finding out that someone spilled a bunch of oil over the weekend, and didn't do anything to clean it up. Either way, you are going to need some help in removing that old oil stain. Luckily, there are a few tricks and methods that you can use to begin removing old oil stains from concrete. Each of these will work, though some are a bit more...drastic. No matter which method you end up using, be sure that you take the proper safety precautions to keep yourself, and your property, safe.

• Kitty litter. Perhaps one of the most traditional methods available for removing oil stains is kitty litter. Surprisingly, this method will work not only on new oil stains, but on old ones as well. In fact, in some ways this method works even better on old ones than it does on new ones. Simply pour a little bit of normal clay kitty litter onto the stain (use enough to cover the stain). Once you have done that, begin to grind the kitty litter into the stain with your foot, almost as if you were doing The Twist. Sweep up the kitty litter, and you will notice that the stain has been removed.
• Dry laundry soap. Another method that you can use to remove an old oil stain is by using some powdered laundry soap. Pour enough out onto the stain to cover it, and then cover with sheet of plastic. There should be enough natural humidity that you do not need to add any water. Allow everything to sit there for a few days (being sure to weigh down the plastic sheet) and then remove. When you sweep up the mess, you should notice that the stain lifts right off.
• Muriatic acid. Muriatic acid, which can be purchased at any home improvement store, will get out any stain that you may have in concrete, though it is probably the single most drastic (and dangerous) option. The reason for this is that you are actually working with acid which will eat away the first few layers of concrete. If you are going to use this method, be sure that you not only follow the manufacturer's directions, but that you also wear the proper safety equipment. This means that you should wear long pants, sleeved shirts, plastic or rubber gloves, and some goggles or safety glasses to help protect you from the affects of this mild acid.