How to Remove Olive Oil from Concrete Floor and Wrought Iron

Table of Contents:

You Will Need
Steps to Remove the Stain
Additional Tips and Advice

Joanne asked: How can I clean olive oil from a concrete floor and wrought iron screen door? Two bottles of olive oil were broken by an assistant in the doorway from our garage into the kitchen. There are still some stains due to improper cleaning. Any suggestions?

Oil can be a tricky sort of mess to clean up, but this method will work on even the biggest, nastiest oil spills. Borrowed from the automotive industry, you can count on it to restore your concrete floors and other surfaces to the condition they were in before the oil ever touched them.

You Will Need:

Brake Cleaner
Gloves
Kitty litter (or Oil-Dri)
Clean rags
Broom
Dust pan

Steps to Remove the Stain:

First, put on your protective gloves. Brake cleaner is some nasty stuff.
Following safety precautions on the can, spray the brake cleaner directly onto the concrete so it covers the oil stain.
Follow the cleaner with kitty litter or Oil-Dri. Sprinkle enough on top to cover the stain completely.
Allow the kitty litter and brake cleaner to sit on the stain for a while, so the litter can absorb the stain. This could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending upon the severity of the stain.
Sweep the litter into a dust pan. The stain should be gone.
Repeat if necessary.
To clean the oil from wrought iron, soak the rag with Brakleen.
Use the rag to wipe the Brakleen over the oil stains.
After wiping thoroughly, use the second rag to clean the remaining cleaner from the wrought iron.

Additional Tips and Advice

Brake cleaner works by immediately drawing oil to the surface. The kitty litter or oil dry then soaks up the mess for easy removal. Beware though, while it works on wrought iron and concrete, it will damage most other surfaces.