Oiled Garage Floor

[Megan le Fey]

My car has had an oil leak since I took it to the agent a couple of years ago to have it prepared for registration as a French car. Pure co-incidence of course they assured me and to repair it would cost more than the old thing is worth. However, my question - we are leaving our rented house at the end of this month to return to UK and I must clean up that garage floor. When I was packing books I came across one called, "How to fix almost anything" and it suggests using paraffin to soften the old stains. I have about a half litre of petrol from my motor mower and wondered if I could safely, (and effectively) use it instead otherwise I have a 12km drive to get paraffin. I know it is a dumb question to ask on this forum but as most of you know, my husband is in the pretty advanced stages of Alzheimer's and I am constantly having to find new skills, even such basic ones as this. Got no smilies so please picture big appeasing grin.

[Araucaria]

Anne

what is the garage floor made of? If it is coarse concrete you are unlikely to remove the stain completely with anything at all short of a cold chisel.

If you cannot easily get hold of paraffin, diesel is an alternative. I don't think I would try petrol: it is too volatile and a bit dangerous to work with. Have you tried neat washing up liquid? Leave it on for a while, and see what comes up when you add hot water a few hours later.

Good luck anyway!

[cooperlola]

http://homerepair.about.com/od/interiorhomerepair/ht/ht_oil_conc_flr.htm

[Chancer]

As someone who has dropped more oil on garage floors, not to mention motor racing circuits than BP has in the gulf my top tips are as follows.

You must initially suck up and draw out any remaining liquid oil, for this cement powder is by far the best (all the racing circuits use it) although messy so fine sawdust is a close second, you have to leave this overnight or even over a few days for puddle of oil whilst turning it over or replacing it, the cement can be used and mopped up almost instantly.

The second stage is to sprinkle on a good thickness of biological washing powder (I thinks its called oxi or oxi action in France) initially to draw out more of the stain as above and finally from a buckets mixed with boiling water and worked in with a stiff broom.

Once that has dried you may find that a tide mark has spread further than the initial stain but you can then repeat stage two if necessary.

Definitely the best way I have found over 30+ years, I have been persuaded a few times to try various kitty litters, even some made for the motor trade and always been very disapointed.

[cooperlola]

Nothing beats the old Blue Circle, Chance![:D]

[Megan le Fey]

Thanks guys, several things there to try. I have already got up all the liquid oil, that was fairly easy using, believe it or not, the rubbish I scraped up cleaning the driveway (I had nothing else immediately available) soaked in Cillit Bang plus several glugs of neat bleach, left overnight and scraped up. I am left with the long dried stuff which looks like black gloss paint. I used the same mixture as above on it and then tried a domestic HP cleaner and then one of those little steam cleaners that you get on the tool trucks. All the above helped a bit but I am still left with a fair bit of the "black gloss paint", enough to attract the attention of the lady from the letting agents who will be doing the "etat de lieu" in about 3 weeks. Ah well, back to work.

[Chancer]

If all else fails then possibly you could paint the floor (you may need permission of course) with garage floor paint, it will eventually come away from the oil stain but if you remember not to walk or drive across it then that will be after you have gone.

[Chancer]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

Nothing beats the old Blue Circle, Chance![:D]

[/quote]

The standing joke at Lydden Hill was that I was sponsored by them!

[Pierre ZFP]

If all else fails, how anbout giving the whole garage floor a coat or 2 of masonary paint? of a suitable colour of course.  Then you could say 'Look what I've done to improve the garage' [;-)]

 

[AnOther]

Too late for Megan of course but the simple expedient of a piece of old cardboard under the car will prevent this problem in the first place [;-)]

[Dog]

... please remember not to breath in any cement dust - it will not do your lungs any good at all.

[BIG MAC]

I am with Chancer in the approach to the run of the mill.

However in the interests of going a bit beyond.....

Brick cleaning acid ....read the instructions three times and use in a ventilated space!

Then if there is any remaining stain or a bright part in the garage floor.....

Remaining stain...knock up some grey cement powder with some plasticser and water into a slurry ....paint over stain and leave to dry (experiment with strength of mix to get colour match elsewhere)

If  you now have a bright patch you want to disguise covern in a mixture of cow poo and live yoghurt for a week

[Megan le Fey]

quote user="AnOther"Too late for Megan of course but the simple expedient of a piece of old cardboard under the car will prevent this problem in the first place [;-)]un-quote

Which is what I should have done in the first place, I am not even sure why I didn't, I guess there were just so many things occupying my mind, however, having now found out how difficult the oil is to remove, I have had said bit of cardboard covering the place that I have managed to clean for the last week so that at least I don't have to do the same bit twice.

I don't think I am able to paint the floor so I guess I will just try to move a small bit every day and see how it goes. I suppose that the worst that will happen is to forfeit my deposit but I never count on getting that back anyway although actually, until now, I always have.

Thank you everyone. I do often "put on you" and you always kindly help and I haven't gone yet. I have another 3 + weeks to be asking for advice. Watch this, or another, space. I wish Google Chrome would let me have smilies.

[nectarine]

if you know anyone coming from the UK get them to bring some 'Gunk', about 5litres, available from Halfords, etc. Maybe you could get one of the UK shopping services (Sterling Shopping?) to bring it over. Paint it on, scrub it in well, keep applying it and scrubbing in, then put sawdust or sand on it to soak it up, remove, then use hot water afterwards. Also, try a jet-washer on this.

Good luck,

[AnOther]

Sounds like you've got enough on your plate without niggly little problems such as this but if you were a bit more specific about your location you never know, someone kind person might volunteer to pop over and help you. I would myself if I were nearer.

Bonne chance

[Chancer]

I would gladly help and also pick up the books at the same time but for the distance [:(]

Actually I have no idea where you are, you gave your department number in another posting but France being such a big place for me if it isnt 80, 62; 59, 60, 02, 76, 27, 08, 51 or 75 it may as well be another continent!

[Christine Animal]

Why don't you just leave the car in the garage for the état des lieux and she won't even see it !   [:D]   [I]

 

[AnOther]

I'm assuming 'Centre Ouest' is up around Tours/Orleans but not sure. A department number would be so much more informative [;-)]

 

[Megan le Fey]

I am giggling at that Christine.[:D]  When she brought around a prospective new tenant last week, I did just that and for just that reason.[6]

I was down again just now looking at it and my efforts (don't know which in particular) seem to be having some effects.  Perhaps it is that little tool-truck steam cleaner along with the combination of any and all the chemicals I can find in the cupboards and toolbox..  The centers of the patches are coming clean leaving just the rims of each.  I do really think that I can probably make it acceptable by the time I go.  After all, it is a location and it wasn't perfect when we moved in.  I bought some paint stripper at the Brico this afternoon to add to my witches brews.  I told the guy on the paint section I wanted something to lift two year old oil from a concrete floor  and he sucked his breath between his teeth, shook his head sadly and did the Gallic shrug before wandering off to see to another customer.  Do you think he was trying to tell me something??

Chancer, I must make a special effort to at least get your favourites of the books to you. It would be nice for them to go to someone who wanted them and not just for English practise.  If I can squeeze in 4 or 5 of them, is there somewhere  en route or in for e.g. Calais where I could leave them? BUT NOT PARIS OR EVEN CLOSE.  Yes, I am shouting, I know it but I have never been withing 50km of Paris without getting lost.

[cooperlola]

Take care what you mix with what, though, Anne and don't make a lethal cocktail of chemicals by mistake.  It's not as unlikely as it sounds.  I think things are safer noways but I well remember a lady at the carriage cleaning depot which was on my o/h's patch, dropping dead because she put some chemical down a loo which already had another cleaning fluid in it and the combination produced a lethal gas.  Horrid.  Mix just small amounts to start with as a test, and make sure you're outside in the fresh air when you do it.[:)]

[Chancer]

[quote user="Christine Animal"]

Why don't you just leave the car in the garage for the état des lieux and she won't even see it !   [:D]   [I]

[/quote]

Well done Christine.

She could park it in the normal position and leave the peice of cardboard under it.

why are we men not capable of thinkig of simple solutions like that?

[Chancer]

[quote user="Megan le Fey"]

Chancer, I must make a special effort to at least get your favourites of the books to you. It would be nice for them to go to someone who wanted them and not just for English practise.  If I can squeeze in 4 or 5 of them, is there somewhere  en route or in for e.g. Calais where I could leave them? BUT NOT PARIS OR EVEN CLOSE.  Yes, I am shouting, I know it but I have never been withing 50km of Paris without getting lost.

[/quote]

That makes two of us [;-)]

I can meet you at a suitable stopping point at either of the motorways that you would take to Calais and it would be a pleasure/priveledge to meet you, I will send you a PM tout de suite.

[PaulT]

No, your original suggestion was the best - use the petrol. They will never know that the stain was there............ or the garage [:D]

Certainly sounds as though you most certainly do not need this - I hope there is some kind soul near you who will come to your rescue.

Paul

[BIG MAC]

Noting Cooperlolas cautionary tale...I used to work with a chap whose wife was permanently disabled by the same thing....scarred her lungs by putting something like  H***IC down the loo at here home when she had put some generic bleach in before ....formed a deadly ball of gas which she got full in the face.

[Chancer]

This morning I took a pee without realising that I had put bleach in the cuvette the night before, quite a noxious gas hit my nostrils causing me to gag and the liquid in the bowl turned the colour of Pastis and water.

I had a sudden recollection of the warnings in this thread and I said to myself  I hope I dont get in the Darwin awards.