Cleaning the Oil Spots off the Garage Floor
Posted: Monday, April 30, 2007
by Bill Healey
If you're one of those people who use their garage for more than just parking your cars, you've probably spilled something or stained the floor at one point or another and we all know how difficult it can be to try and clean it off. Once those oil spills have dried you may as well just tell everyone that all the new garages come with them because that stain isn’t going anywhere.
First off, you will need to clean off the floor’s surface. Doing this is essential if you're thinking of painting on the surface. However, simple scrubbing and cleaning usually isn’t enough. You may think that the surface is for a coat of paint but don’t expect to see great results. The stain or grease leaves a layer between the floor and the paint that creates a lack of adhesion. If you park your car in the garage, the tires will more than likely peel the paint off.
To really clean the garage floor properly, you'll need solvents and heavy duty cleaners. You can easily find these products in hardware and paint stores. Be sure to follow the instructions completely to ensure that all of the stains and dirt are removed and for safety reasons.
You can also cheat a little if you can afford the room. You can use power tools. Pressure washers are great for cleaning garage floors, for example. These washers power water onto the floor surface at about 1200-2000psi. That’s some big-time cleaning tools. These are a great option when the garage floor is extremely stained or it has been stained for an extended period of time. If you can't find a pressure washer, a steam cleaner can be just as effective. In either case though, you may want to use a detergent to help break up the grease and other stains.
You now have accomplished something you can brag to your family and friends about. Another plus is the wife will finally be off your back. A fresh and clean floor will make your garage look so good that it may even inspire you to keep it organized...maybe not!
The key to a successful and well executed project is a great design. It is up to you to make the initial decision about the way you want your walkway to look and feel.
For more information on topics such as this, check out Magsforless at www.magsforless.com. They sell a variety of magazine subscriptions on home improvement with hundreds of other cheap magazines on any subject you choose. With an extensive list of magazine titles to choose from and the cheapest prices available, they stand out from the competition.
This Article has been viewed 1,966 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Thanks! This was very helpful. I had just finished painting my garage door when a severe thunderstorm came through and washed most of the paint off-right onto the concrete floor beneath. Major clean-up is now in order, and I'll be putting this advice to good use!
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.