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Household
Hints & HELP!
Cleaning
Concrete
submitted
by Lorene Bartos, Extension Educator
This article appears in the March 13,
2005 Lincoln Journal Star Newspaper.
Is your garage floor or driveway an area of grease stains
and oil spots? Some tips to avoid and remove those unsightly
spots and stains follow.
First
of all, it is advisable to place a shallow pan under the
car to catch dripping oil. Spreading sand or sawdust on
the area will help absorb dripping oil. Periodically saturated
sand and sawdust should be scraped away and fresh, clean
material put in its place. This will prevent tracking oil
to other areas of cement or into the house.
If oil or grease is spilled on porch or patio cement, immediately
apply an absorbent powder such as fuller's earth, cornmeal
or sawdust to absorb as much oil as possible. Leave it on
the stain for a few hours and sweep up.
To
remove the grease stain:
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Using a stiff long handled brush, scrub stain with concentrated
detergent suds. Rinse well with hose. Dry and repeat,
if necessary.
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Sprinkle "dishwasher" detergent (dry) on wet concrete.
Let it stand a few minutes; pour boiling water on area.
Scrub and rinse. Use rubber gloves on hands.
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Commercial products are available at paint and/or hardware
stores.
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On wet oily surfaces of concrete, sprinkle with trisodium
phosphate. Allow to stand 15 to 30 minutes, then scrub
with stiff brush and hot water. Rinse with clean water.
Do not use on asphalt. OR: Dissolve a cup of trisodium
of phosphate in 1 gallon of hot water. Pour over a stained
cement surface generously and allow to soak 15 to 20
minutes. Scrub with stiff brush or broom. Rinse off
with hose. Repeat, if necessary. Do not use on asphalt.
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Scrub the concrete with a grease solvent to remove as
much of the grease stain as possible. Have good ventilation
and avoid spark or flame as solvents are flammable.
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Mix l part sodium citrate, 6 parts water, 6 parts glycerine
and add enough whiting or fuller's earth to make a thick
paste mixture. Spread mixture on oil or grease stain
and leave on stained area for one week. Continue to
add new paste when it dries. Brush dry paste away and
flush with water. Repeat, if necessary.
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Kitty litter and dry cement will also help absorb fresh
grease or oil spots. Apply to stained area until oil
or grease is absorbed and sweeps up.
Removal
of these types of stains is always easiest if treated immediately.
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