Teaching An Up-And-Coming Auto Mechanic About A Concrete Oil Stain
Isn’t it funny how an up-and-coming auto mechanic in the family can take a certain amount of pride from the concrete oil stains that he or she causes? Young auto enthusiasts believe that getting dirty in this way is part of the attraction. Whenever they tinker with the car, the inevitable oil drips and drops are simply okay and almost supposed to happen to. They might think this way, but you know how difficult those concrete oil stains can be to remove, once they are set!
You have to establish the playing field whenever you have an up-and-coming auto mechanic in your family. If you don’t set ground rules, you won’t be able to protect your investment. By all means encourage them to get active, but ask them whether they want to contribute to those expensive cleaning bills, or whether they will listen to what you have to say?
Just because your garage is also a utilitarian room with a workbench, it doesn’t mean that it has to be treated poorly. Concrete oil stains will be very difficult to remove as the consistency of the oil blends with the porous nature of the concrete. Of course you could opt to have all your surfaces sealed, but few go to that length.
Whether you have a young auto mechanic in your family or not, over time you will have issues associated with aging vehicles come what may. Suddenly, the dripping oil issues have caused concrete oil stains to appear without warning. It’s unfortunate that you often don’t get to see underneath your vehicles anyway, as they are either covering the problem or you are driving them somewhere else!
If you find concrete oil stains on your garage floor, or somebody else points them out, you don’t need to panic. However, you do need to take action as soon as you can. If you find that the problem is relatively new, try using a simple household product such as baking soda, cat litter or even soda.
If you have sprinkled kittie litter or baking soda onto a concrete oil stain and left it to set overnight, try sweeping it all away and seeing what is left. Unfortunately, it is likely that there will be some kind of discoloration, even if most of the serious stain has been removed. Remember that your best course of action is to avoid the stains in the first place.
Prepare for the worst and you won’t have to spend a lot of time repairing. By putting oil mats or pads beneath your cars you can be ahead of the game. The axle, transmission and engine areas are the most vulnerable for your attention and remember that these mats are specifically designed to contain anything that falls from underneath, to keep your garage in top shape.
Being busy families, we often have more cars than can fit in our garage. Consequently, this might lead to concrete oil stains forming on your driveway. In these cases, just put oil mats out here as well and remember that they are a far more pleasant option to look at for your guests and neighbors than those glaring stains.