cleaning up oil spots, spills

[gtmalone]

this was under the "say anything topic".  Useful for all of us.

I spent the day use'in a bunch of sand and a few gallons of gas,,to scrcap off a huge oil spot on a park'in space I payed for,at the senior park I just moved into....when it rains not only is it a drag to park my bike in the oil,but there's a huge pool of water that forms when it rains....They put in a pump that pumps most of it down a flex pipe and shots it "INTO THERE GARDEN" So I'm do'in everyone a favor by "try'in to clean it up",,,After scrap'in off all the top surface its still somehow still soft and rather oilee...cause when I parked the bike(02fxd),,the front wheel made marks when I had to swing from stop to stop,,,,So I guess I'll have to think of something other than gas....next time,,I'll have to try something bio-degardable and wash it off use'in a big sweep broom and a hose....any other ideas...?

You'll have to blast      Seriously though, try Dawn dishwashing soap.  It has become well known for cleaning up oil spills ---  http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=proctor+and+gamble+oil+spill&fr=fptb-&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8   

[Faast Ed]

Asphalt I assume?  Bummer.  Most any 'good' ' chemical will attack the asphalt.

[Kansas]

I had good luck using an orange based cleaner I found at the big box home improvement center. There are different brands but they all seem to do an effective job.

[gofone]

I use tide with bleach, a broom & garden hose to clean cement floors. Should work on asphalt.

[Rags722]

Gas on asphalt will just make a bad situation worse.  If it were me, I'd just buy a jug of speedy dry and keep grinding it in with my boot, then sweep all the dust up and start over.  Depending on how much oil and how much gas have eaten into the asphalt, the "correct" fix may be to dig out the bad spot until you get to good material all the way around and invest in a bag or two of cold patch.

[Diggs223]

  few gallons of gas ? asphalt is done for sure now, it'll need to be cut out and redone, never use gas 

[Juice]

I run fueling stations and deal with it alot,,,, the problem with oil on cement is it goes all the way threw it into the stone, asphalt,,, it might not so you need to stick with soaps so it doesn't break it down. palmalove or dawn will work it just takes time. Mix alot of it with a little water and pour it just on the spill and let it sit, it will slowly draw it out.
Cement, it works to but it only gets about the top qtr inch out then you keep it watered to flush it down and threw it and scrub the surface clean. there is a chemical they use for cement that neutralizes the oil and you just hose it off.
Sorry, dont know the name or what its made of.

[PoorUB]

On cement paint thinner, (mineral spirits) does a great job. Pour it on, work it in with a stiff brush, the put some floor dry on it to soak it all up. Then scrub ut good with some good water based degreaser. Dawn dish soap probably would work, but there ar others.

[someday69]

Rags and Diggs...were right,,and it's asphalt...I used about 1 1/2 gallons sprinkled on lots of sand,,,then pushed it around,,then scraped it off with a pick acks, the flat side),,now its down to the rocks/stones in some places,,and its still not right...yet I must say its better than stand'in in all that oil...this space is in a bad low place,and the water collects there,,I"M think'in,,,,maybe some kind'a gravel,that will stand above the old asphalt....but thanks for the ideas....I think I should try some dish detergent just for kicks....someday..

[gtmalone]

blasting is still an option and it's more fun   

[HDRDR]

This stuff works real good

[04glide]

I have used driveway cleaner with good results. Picked it up at Home Depot cheap. Spray it on and hose it off. Washes the oil away real quick.