How to remove stains from garage floors

EricL

Difficulty: Beginner

Dirt, grease and oil stains on garage floors can become slipping hazards if left unattended.

Here’s a simple guide on how to remove them and keep your garage safe and clean.

As this project involves chemicals, please follow all safety guidelines provided by manufacturers and use the recommended protective gear.

Let us know if you have any questions. We’d be happy to help.

Steps

Step 1

Determine the type of stain on your garage floor.

Examine the colour and texture of the stain. You can also check for any strong or distinct odours. This can help determine what caused it and the best way to remove it.

Grease stains are often brown or black in colour. They are mostly found on the floor underneath a parked car. Oil stains typically leave a yellow tint.

My floor had a mix of grease, oil and dirt stains.

1 Determine the type of stain on floor.png 1.1 Oil and grease stains.png 1.2 Dirt and grease stains.png

Step 2

Prepare your garage floor for cleaning.

Clear your garage. Make sure to remove any items that may get water damaged.

Now sweep the floor to get rid of any dust and dirt sitting on the surface. You can use a indoor broom or blower for this. Don’t forget to wear your mask, safety glasses and gloves if you are using a blower.

2 Move items off floor.png 2.1 Sweep floor with broom.png 2.2. Put mask on before using blower.png 2.3 Use blower to remove dirt.png

Step 3

Spray and scrub stains with a degreaser.

Use a degreaser to remove grease and oil stains. You can also use a multi-purpose spray for bubble gum, tar, dirt and mud stains.

Spray the stained areas and let the degreaser sit for 10 minutes. Refer to the label for instructions on how much product to use.

Now scrub the stain with a stiff bristle broom. Use a paper towel or disposable rag to wipe off any remaining product on the floor.

3 Use degreaser to remove stains.png 3.1 Spray the stain.png 3.2. Leave the product on for 10 minutes.png 3.3. Use a bristle broom to scrub the product.png 3.4. Wipe of remaining product with paper towel.png

Step 4

Mop the floor with a cleaning solution.

Fill a bucket with 2L of hot water. Add two caps of dishwashing liquid. Mix the solution using a mop.

Now dip the bottom quarter of the mop into the water. Wring out any excess water so the floor doesn't get too wet. Mop the entire floor thoroughly.

Always start mopping in the furthest corner from your garage door so you don't walk over where you have mopped.

4. Fill bucket with 2L hot water.png 4.1 Add dishwashing liquid to water.png 4.2. Dip the mop in water.png 4.3 Mop floor thoroughly.png

Step 5

Wash the floor.

Once you’ve finished cleaning the floor, empty your bucket. Then fill it with 3L of hot water and mop the floor to remove the dishwashing solution and wash the floor.

You can also use a pressure washer for this step. Make sure to set it on the lowest setting to avoid damaging the floor’s finish.

Here are some tips on how to use a pressure washer.

5 Empty bucket.png 5.1 Use a pressure washer to clean the floor.png

Step 6

Check for any remaining stains and wash the floor again.

If your floor is still stained, repeat Step 3. Then mop the floor with the dishwashing solution as in Step 4.

Once all the stains have been removed, wash the floor again. Refer to Step 5 for instructions.

You can either let the floor air dry or use a blower. Your floor should now be clean.

To clean your used mop, wash it in hot water. Wring it thoroughly to remove any grime or grease. Dry it under direct sunlight.

6 Wash floor again.png 6.1 Wash mop in hot water.png 6.2 Wring mop thoroughly.png 6.3. Leave mop in sunlight to dry.png 6.4. Clean garage floor with no stains.png

Materials

Water
Dishwashing liquid
Degreaser, like WD-40 400g Specialist Fast Acting Citrus Degreaser.

Tools

Disposable gloves
Safety glasses
N95 mask
Mop
Bucket
Paper towel or disposable rag
Indoor broom
Blower (optional)
Pressure washer (optional)
Stiff bristle broom.

Images

1 Determine the type of stain on floor.png 1.1 Oil and grease stains.png 1.2 Dirt and grease stains.png 2 Move items off floor.png 2.1 Sweep floor with broom.png 2.2. Put mask on before using blower.png 2.3 Use blower to remove dirt.png 3 Use degreaser to remove stains.png 3.1 Spray the stain.png 3.2. Leave the product on for 10 minutes.png 3.3. Use a bristle broom to scrub the product.png 3.4. Wipe of remaining product with paper towel.png 4. Fill bucket with 2L hot water.png 4.1 Add dishwashing liquid to water.png 4.2. Dip the mop in water.png 4.3 Mop floor thoroughly.png 5 Empty bucket.png 5.1 Use a pressure washer to clean the floor.png 6 Wash floor again.png 6.1 Wash mop in hot water.png 6.2 Wring mop thoroughly.png 6.3. Leave mop in sunlight to dry.png 6.4. Clean garage floor with no stains.png