Concrete Cleaning Oil Shadows

Hey all,

New to the site! First wanted to say thank you to everyone who participates on this site I have learned a lot just by browsing forums and searching.

I guess I already know the answer to my question I just want to believe its not true. I have been doing more concrete and flat work than anything else lately and I have tried everything from local blends, ZEP, Purple Power, Home made solutions ETC to remove oil stains and shadowing from concrete. Is there anything that can completely remove these stains? My customers have been very happy with my work thus far and understand oil will shadow when the left over time and the concrete has not been sealed. Me being the perfectionist that I am just feel a little disappointed every time I leave a job site with a remaining oil shadow. IS THERE A WAY TO GET RID OF THE OIL FOR GOOD?

Oh- and I have seen EBC thrown around quite a bit and intend on buying a good sized order of the stuff based on everyone's reviews. I just wanted to know even with EBC am I correct that the shadow remains if its old enough and not stained?

Thanks,
Have a great day!
 
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If you can come up with something that will draw the oil out of the pores of the concrete then let the world know because we will all want some.
 
Hey all,

New to the site! First wanted to say thank you to everyone who participates on this site I have learned a lot just by browsing forums and searching.

I guess I already know the answer to my question I just want to believe its not true. I have been doing more concrete and flat work than anything else lately and I have tried everything from local blends, ZEP, Purple Power, Home made solutions ETC to remove oil stains and shadowing from concrete. Is there anything that can completely remove these stains? My customers have been very happy with my work thus far and understand oil will shadow when the left over time and the concrete has not been sealed. Me being the perfectionist that I am just feel a little disappointed every time I leave a job site with a remaining oil shadow. IS THERE A WAY TO GET RID OF THE OIL FOR GOOD?

Oh- and I have seen EBC thrown around quite a bit and intend on buying a good sized order of the stuff based on everyone's reviews. I just wanted to know even with EBC am I correct that the shadow remains if its old enough and not stained?

Thanks,
Have a great day!
no. you have a better shot if the stain is new. there is no magic potion to remove oil stains completely.
 
As said above nothing I know completely removes everything. But always tell your customer this, then when you are complete they know what you done is what can be done set expectations. When you don't like I have in the past you end up trying to explain that this is the best you can do they feel that you are pulling a fast one saying you can get it out and not coming through. Set Expectations every time.
 
Get some BT200 from EatOils.com or powerwashstore.com apply it at 5;1 and brush it in....it will remove the shadow but takes time and some times a couple applications. Heat from the sun also helps as it bakes the moisture back out of the concrete.
 
Terry,

I've had some luck with burning it out.Works sometimes but not always and can't tell you why.

Get a little propane torch, dip a sponge or rag in some gas and dampen the spot you want to remove pretty good. Let sit for just a minute to soak in, then take the torch and work back and forth across stain starting at one side of it. Needles to say, be careful, but does work. But if you've got a lot will take you forever. Better for just that random spot or 2.
 
Thanks for the tip Al,

I do have some commercial work coming up where they have asphalt drive through's on a few locations. I am assuming just low/no pressure to remove any surface dirt or spills and set the expectation that any heavy oils/ stains will remain after the service? Also any chemical recommendations on asphalt for a light cleaning of surface spills and light stains?

Thanks again.
 
Removing Oil Shadows

Hey all,

New to the site! First wanted to say thank you to everyone who participates on this site I have learned a lot just by browsing forums and searching.

I guess I already know the answer to my question I just want to believe its not true. I have been doing more concrete and flat work than anything else lately and I have tried everything from local blends, ZEP, Purple Power, Home made solutions ETC to remove oil stains and shadowing from concrete. Is there anything that can completely remove these stains? My customers have been very happy with my work thus far and understand oil will shadow when the left over time and the concrete has not been sealed. Me being the perfectionist that I am just feel a little disappointed every time I leave a job site with a remaining oil shadow. IS THERE A WAY TO GET RID OF THE OIL FOR GOOD?

Oh- and I have seen EBC thrown around quite a bit and intend on buying a good sized order of the stuff based on everyone's reviews. I just wanted to know even with EBC am I correct that the shadow remains if its old enough and not stained?

Thanks,
Have a great day!

The new microbial cleaners will do this. I use a product called BacKrete. It's a powder with the consistency of flour. After the concrete dries, we spread some BacKrete and brush it into the pores of the concrete. The microbes eat the oil and excrete it as carbon monoxide. Once the oil is gone the microbes die off. It's completely safe and environmentally friendly. These microbe products have only been out for a short period of time, but they're a game changer. If you don't use them, your competition will.

Jeff
 
Actually the microbes have been out for dozens of years, tried many different versions of them and none of them worked. No shadows gone.

At the refinery for spills in the dirt they work good and can get rid of the hydrocarbons but on concrete do not work.

The powder is a mask and will wash away with a minimal rain and customers will track it into stores, that is why they stopped using it at the stripes/circle k and valero stores down here. Heavy wind also blows it away.

I have tried many of these and none worked, New Pig threw away tons of this stuff as they could not sell it and could barely give it away.

Not trying to burst your bubble salesguy but in reality, in the real world of pressure washing hundreds of us contractors know about this powder that supposedly has the microbes or enzymes in it do not ever remove oil stains in concrete. I documented several oil spots over a decade ago where I steam cleaned the spots and barricaded them so nobody would park over them and added more microbes weekly and solution that they love to eat besides oil to help keep them alive and after 6 weeks of this nonsense I gave up as the stains never got better looking.

The powder is just a mask that will wash away or blow away and the stain is still there, not fooling anyone for a long time, just a short time and then when the powder is gone and they see the stain is still there then they get mad at the contractor for lying to them and ripping them off. Just reality here. Good luck.

There are thousands of contractors looking for the miracle chemical that will completely remove the oil stains but so far it has not been developed yet. When it does many of us will quit doing regular cleaning to just focus on the oil stains and make a lot of money very fast. Heat and good chemicals will help a lot and the quicker the stain is treated and washed the better it will look. I can get fresh oil out of concrete about 100% within 2 weeks of the stain happening but most people wait months before doing anything about them.

Not trying to be a naysayer here but the reality is the oil stains can look better but not completely removed after they have been there a while, the sooner they happen and are cleaned then the better the chance is they can look great after being cleaned.
 
Not a Sales Guy

Actually the microbes have been out for dozens of years, tried many different versions of them and none of them worked. No shadows gone.

At the refinery for spills in the dirt they work good and can get rid of the hydrocarbons but on concrete do not work.

The powder is a mask and will wash away with a minimal rain and customers will track it into stores, that is why they stopped using it at the stripes/circle k and valero stores down here. Heavy wind also blows it away.

I have tried many of these and none worked, New Pig threw away tons of this stuff as they could not sell it and could barely give it away.

Not trying to burst your bubble salesguy but in reality, in the real world of pressure washing hundreds of us contractors know about this powder that supposedly has the microbes or enzymes in it do not ever remove oil stains in concrete. I documented several oil spots over a decade ago where I steam cleaned the spots and barricaded them so nobody would park over them and added more microbes weekly and solution that they love to eat besides oil to help keep them alive and after 6 weeks of this nonsense I gave up as the stains never got better looking.

The powder is just a mask that will wash away or blow away and the stain is still there, not fooling anyone for a long time, just a short time and then when the powder is gone and they see the stain is still there then they get mad at the contractor for lying to them and ripping them off. Just reality here. Good luck.

There are thousands of contractors looking for the miracle chemical that will completely remove the oil stains but so far it has not been developed yet. When it does many of us will quit doing regular cleaning to just focus on the oil stains and make a lot of money very fast. Heat and good chemicals will help a lot and the quicker the stain is treated and washed the better it will look. I can get fresh oil out of concrete about 100% within 2 weeks of the stain happening but most people wait months before doing anything about them.

Not trying to be a naysayer here but the reality is the oil stains can look better but not completely removed after they have been there a while, the sooner they happen and are cleaned then the better the chance is they can look great after being cleaned.

I'm not a sales guy. I own Amarillo Pressure Wash www.amarillopressurewash.com We started using BacKrete 6 months ago and it works. I have no ties to the company. I also tried other microbial cleaners that worked as well, but BacKrete was the only dry one that worked. It creates more work for us since we go back later to apply it, but we charge for it. It doesn't rain in Amarillo often, but we wouldn't apply if there was a chance of it raining.
 
That is good that you found a product that works for you. Post some before and after pictures so we can see this product removing the oil stain, that would be nice to see, one of those microbe products that finally do what they claim to do as none I have tried have worked at all in over 15 years, all have been a temporary mask until is it blown away or washed away with a hose or the rain.

My mistake, it sounded like you were a salesman, I apologize for that.

Let us see the pictures of the product removing the oil stains, that will be nice to see.
 
Pictures

That is good that you found a product that works for you. Post some before and after pictures so we can see this product removing the oil stain, that would be nice to see, one of those microbe products that finally do what they claim to do as none I have tried have worked at all in over 15 years, all have been a temporary mask until is it blown away or washed away with a hose or the rain.

My mistake, it sounded like you were a salesman, I apologize for that.

Let us see the pictures of the product removing the oil stains, that will be nice to see.

I'm working on this...it takes a few days for this product to fully work....I'm getting daily pics and should be able to post them this week.

Jeff
 
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