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Clean Up Oil That Spilled On The Seamless Cement Floor In A Work Bay At Your Automotive Shop

16 July 2017 by Janet Robinson

If you own an automotive shop and a jug of oil spilled onto the seamless cement floor in one of work bays, clean the mess and prevent permanent staining by completing the steps below. Afterward, take measures to prevent spills or stains from damaging the flooring during a future occasion:

Materials

• sawdust
• cat litter
• plastic sheeting
• masking tape
• broom 
• dustpan
• degreasing agent
• stiff-bristled scrub brush
• detergent
• water
• bucket
• mop
• tarps
• carpet pieces

Apply A Poultice To Soak Up The Spill And Use A Degreasing Agent

Pour a thick, even layer of sawdust or cat litter onto the oil spill. Use strips of masking tape to secure a piece of plastic sheeting over the sawdust or litter. The material that was added to the flooring will act as a poultice and will soak up the oil. Leave the plastic in place for several hours. Afterward, remove the plastic and use a broom to sweep the sawdust or litter into a dustpan. Apply a liberal amount of a degreasing agent on the flooring that is stained with oil. Move a stiff-bristled scrub brush back and forth over the cement to remove the oily stain.

Clean The Entire Floor 

Remove automotive tools, boxes, and any other items that are on the cement flooring and place the items in another part of your business. Prepare a cleaning solution for the cement flooring by filling a bucket with warm water and adding a small amount of an industrial strength detergent to the bucket's contents.

Dip a mop into the cleaning solution before moving the mop back and forth over the entire floor. Empty the bucket and fill it with fresh water. Clean the mop before using the tool to apply plain water to the cement floor. Wait for the flooring to dry before placing items back inside of the work bay.

Take Measures To Protect The Cement

Before completing jobs that involve using oil or other liquids that could spill onto the floor, lay tarps across the concrete. After completing a job, fold up the tarp and carry it outdoors to clean the tarp's surface. Place small pieces of carpet near the entrance to your business and next to the doorway to each work bay. Anyone who enters the premises will not track loose mud onto the cement floor if they use the pieces of carpet to wipe their feet upon their arrival to your business.  

Contact a flooring installation company for more information and assistance.

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