Unexpected Household Items That Can Clean Your Stained Garage Floors

Considering that concrete garage floors are common in most households, chances are that your garage is no different. Concrete is common because it is low-maintenance, affordable, and sturdy. Unfortunately, it is also porous, which means any stain that doesn't quickly get wiped up can penetrate the material and be difficult to clean. But before you whip out that chemical degreaser to clean your concrete floors, many go-to cleaning substitutes will still get the job done. Unexpected items like cornstarch, cat litter, lemon juice, soda, and more can get oil, grease, and rust stains off your garage floors.

Before starting, make sure to wear a mask and gloves while cleaning, and keep the garage well-ventilated. Also, always use a soft-bristled brush like a nylon brush that won't etch your concrete surface. Leave wire brushes for really tough stains and ensure to rinse off after use to wash out any metal flakes that could rust and cause more stains. Thankfully, acidic solutions that will break down rust, like lemon juice and white vinegar, make great rust stain removers. Simply pour the liquid over the stain and let sit for 10 minutes, then scrub the stain away and rinse. Removing water-based paint is also easy by scraping off excess and scrubbing the rest with a simple dish soap and water solution. But oil-based paint might require solvents that aren't readily available — like acetone or paint thinner.

For oil, grease, and gasoline stains, start with something absorbent like clay-based cat litter, cornstarch, or baking soda. Spread over the spill and leave for several hours or overnight. Any grease-cutting cleaning agent like powder laundry detergent or dish soap would work for the next step. Pour on the stain, mix with water to form a paste, scrub the mixture, let it sit, and then rinse off with a hose and dry the area. You might have to repeat this process multiple times depending on the severity of the stain. 

For bright red transmission fluid stains, repeat the same process but instead of soap or detergent, use spray oven cleaner and let it sit for just 10 minutes before scrubbing. A genius baking soda hack will work for older stains. Place a paste of water and baking soda on the stain and leave it for several hours before scrubbing and rinsing off. Surprisingly, even soda like Coca-Cola will work for old stains because it contains grease-cutting chemicals like citric and phosphoric acid. Pour and leave it over the stain for several hours before scrubbing with soapy water and rinsing off.

For dry antifreeze stains, you'll have to first pour water on it, then sprinkle powder laundry detergent and cover with sheets of newspaper. Sprinkle water over the papers and leave for at least three hours before using the papers to wipe the area, then scrub and rinse.