Guest Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 I use Oil Eater on the fresh stuff. Its not toxic like laquer thinner so I can wash it off into the gutter afterwards. I don't know what to do about the set-in stuff, any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Muratic acid...that'll eat through titanium.Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 its something i never thot to do !! Is there some reason that it should NOT be covered with grease, oil, and other debris i'm not sure of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Usually if I get the old cars, broken down trucks, bicycles and go-karts out of the drive, the neighbors stop complaining. For the serious grease and oil that accumulates, there is nothing like Muriatic acid followed up with a session with the Power Washer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
our51super Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Hey everyone,So is it MURATIC or MUR<span style="font-weight: bold">I</span>ATIC Acid? Whichever, how do you use it? Do you just spray it on and hose it off or do you need to scrub? Usually, the oil spots in our driveway just seem to seep into the concrete and in a couple of weeks they disappear.Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 53and61 Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 I pour on some strong liquid detergent, some mineral spirits, and a little water, then scrub in the pasty mix with a scrub brush. Hose it off, dust a little Portland cement over the area, and it looks like new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 OK guys, now how do you get it off asphalt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Asphalt is oil-based. The usual drip stains, etc. will eventually dissappear as they are "absorbed" into the asphalt. Most of the normal cleaners work by dissolving the oil so it cash be washed away. However, they will also dissolve the underlying asphalt. Use enough of it, and your whole driveway will be in the gutter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 I also use Oil Eater. The house I bought last year had a nearly new driveway that had never been parked on overnight, zero drips! I felt out of place.There's a guy here in western Ohio that sells brand new rolled up utility carpets (those things you wipe your feet on at the mall when first walk in the door. They're very cheap, he sells the big ones that the whole car fits on for about $25. I use one every time I work on the car. It's saved tons of Oil Eater! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Chapman Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Dave,Would you have the brand name or vendor name of the utility mats available?Thanks,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Chapman Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 There are some problems with using muratic acid (which is really hydrocloric acid at 35-40% dilution in water) to clean concrete surfaces...If you've got smooth finished concrete, muriatic acid will etch the finished surface, making the concrete more suseptable to future staining and water intrusion. On any concrete surface, the muriatic acid will disolve the phosphates in the cement and actually cause breakdown of the concrete. The insidiousness of this is that if the muriatic acid isn't completely flushed off the surface and remaining residue neutralized, it will dry as acid crystals in the concrete and reactivate with moisture (rain, dew, sprinkler, etc) continuing to attack the surface over time.I'd vote for something that attacks the petroleum, not the concrete.Cheers,JMC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 Lystoil (sp?) straight from the bottle, Scrub with a brush the tough spots then hose off the rest. If its safe to put in the wash it should be safe to use this way. Got this secret from an Oil delevery man. I also use it as engine degreaser works good in the power washer diluted 50-50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 31tudor Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 I've always used a little splash of Unleaded gas, scrub it with a brush, rinse it with the hose, and it helps a lot. Fresh oil stains go away completely, old oil stains fade out pretty good.Oh, I'm not a smoker and don't seem to have much regard for the EPA. Maybe I should re-think the gasoline idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Chapman Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 31Tudor....Lest your imagination fail you.... I'd re-think.... or risk being cleaned off the same driveway with oven cleaner....Cheers,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 John, that one of the best posts on any thread I've ever seen! 31 Tudor, In addition to John's point, if you've been doing that frequently for a long time don't try for any insurance policies that call for a liver function check. You really don't want to know why.As for the utility mat/carpet guy, I really don't know his name. He shows up at nearly every swap meet around here (including all of the <span style="font-style: italic">Cars & Parts</span> Springfield meets, even some of the very tiny ones. He must get them as factory rejects because the manufacture dates on the backs of the two I use are within a few weeks of when I bought them. However, any old, rubber-backed carpet piece will work wonders.p.s.--I have a third carpet I bought from him that I don't get dirty. It's a 4'x6' entry mat that says "BUICK" with the tri-shield emblem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtabish Posted December 21, 2002 Share Posted December 21, 2002 actually, why wouldn't oven cleaner work? it will work on organic compounds cooked onto an oven's surface, it ought to work on the same thing on concrete. you can let it foam up and set on the stain for as along as you want [if it is just a stain and not the LeBrea tar pits], and just scrub it off with soapy water the next time you wash your car. I KNOW YOU WASH YOUR CAR! have you tried simple green? dawn? elbow grease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted December 22, 2002 Share Posted December 22, 2002 The "time honored" cleaner that the service station people used to use to really clean their driveways and such was powdered Tide soap. Wet the concrete, sprinkle it on, use the wide sweeper brush or another strong brisseled (and with an appropriately long handle) scrub brush to mix it up and such, then wash it off with a strong stream of water. Somewhat labor intensive, but it worked in the '60s and probably will work now.I've used other similar cleaners but like Castrol's liquid cleaner--buy it by the gallon as the quart bottles don't go far enough. It works with cold water too, as it says on the label. Might need to scrub or scrape the accumulations, but otherwise letting it set and then scrubbing with the sweeper brush on the handle and it works pretty well.Once you get things really clean, then you might consider getting the surface sealed, but some sealers get EXTREMELY slick with the slightest dampness! But they have to be maintained with recoats every so often so the liquid/powdered cleaners might be best.Just some thoughts . . .NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted December 22, 2002 Share Posted December 22, 2002 For those small areas that don't really require the full washdown, a quality brake clean spray ("chlorinated" works better than "non-chlorinated", typically, but the "good stuff" is allegedly more non-friendly to the atmosphere) can work well as can B-12 or similar.The mat idea sounds really neat, especially in an enclosed shop with a nice floor. Better to lay on also, I suspect.Happy Holidays,NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 31tudor Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 That was great John! Now if we can only find a .gif of a burning person... that'd paint more than a great mental picture!!!Hope nobody took me too seriously on that post... looks like a few people got a good laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Chapman Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 31T...I found some other pictures in gif and jpeg format that were a little too graphic...sorta took the fun outta the post.Cheers,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearhead Posted December 26, 2002 Share Posted December 26, 2002 I have used many cleaners from auto parts stores. Some that I have tried are: Greased Lightning, Super Purple (from Advanced Auto Parts) and Simple Green. All seem similar and all do a pretty good job.If you really want to do a wonderful job, but don't mind emptying your bank account, try "Pour-N-Restore". It is only sold direct from the factory. Try this link: http://www.pour-n-restore.com/Comes in a gallon jug and is like $30 a gallon. It is a milky white goo that you pour on the stain and brush in with a floor brush. Let it dry (overnight) then sweep off the remaining powder. Does a wonderful job on fresh or very old stains.Pricey, but good!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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