Removing Oil Stain from Flagstone

[Bruce K.]

Hi,

I made a small puddle of motor oil on my flagstone desk.

Tried:

Kitty litter type clay chips.

Dawn Dishwashing Detergent

Didnt remove all of the stain.

Any Ideas?

Thanks in advance .

Bruce

[Ed Pawlowski]

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 06:41:27 -0400, Bruce K.
<brucea...@optonline.net> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I made a small puddle of motor oil on my flagstone desk.
>
>Tried:
>
>Kitty litter type clay chips.

How did you get the car on the desk?

I don't think you will ever get it out entirely. Use the Speedi-Dry
or whatever brand and leave it sit for a week or two.

[Norminn]

Kitty litter type? Use regular, non-clumping k.l., mash it in hard with
your foot and let it soak for a couple of days when no rain expected.

[Oren]

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 08:25:38 -0400, Norminn <nor...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

It's a DESK :-)

[micky]

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&site=&source=hp&q=remove+oil+from+flagstone&oq=remove+oil+from+fla&gs_l=hp.3.0.0j0i22i30l9.1840.5646.0.7762.19.15.0.3.3.0.206.1920.1j13j1.15.0....0...1c.1.25.hp..3.16.1628.koP5pUpyNUQ

http://www.contractortalk.com/f48/oil-stains-flagstone-101167/
no great answer today, but these guys are really contractors for the
most part, and their talk is interesting.

[David L. Martel]

Bruce,

I Googled this and found a recommendation for carb cleaner. It's cheap
and probably won't hurt.

Dave M.

[Oren]

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 10:24:09 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

>
>http://www.contractortalk.com/f48/oil-stains-flagstone-101167/
>no great answer today, but these guys are really contractors for the
>most part, and their talk is interesting.

In the last comment on the page, the poster said "...tried brake
cleaner, carb cleaner, and wd40. Not much effect on the stains."

Sulfamic acid is mild and used for tile and grout cleaner, can't say
if it will work as I've not tried it flagstone.

[micky]

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 08:27:48 -0700, Oren <Or...@127.0.0.1> wrote:

>On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 10:24:09 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>http://www.contractortalk.com/f48/oil-stains-flagstone-101167/
>>no great answer today, but these guys are really contractors for the
>>most part, and their talk is interesting.
>
>In the last comment on the page, the poster said "...tried brake
>cleaner, carb cleaner, and wd40. Not much effect on the stains."

Right. And the OP can learn something from what didn't work for this
guy.

[Norminn]

I've used kitty litter and it worked fine on concrete. Had to mash it
in hard and leave for a couple of days. As porous as concrete is, one
has to remember that k.l. won't soak up oil if the k.l. isn't ground in.
The concrete held onto some of the finer dust....didn't bother to hose
that off because it was an out of the way place. Condo neighbor stored
car stuff in a plastic cabinet outdoors and the full can of oil rusted
and ran out. On the water in Florida, it takes metal about 5 minutes to
rust.

[nestork]

I would try applying mineral spirits to the flagstone surface, and then
wicking up the mineral spirits with paper towels.

I'm hoping the oil dissolves in the mineral spirits, and the mineral
spirits are absorbed in the paper towels.




--
nestork

[Oren]

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 11:39:25 -0400, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>

Certainly. OP could flip the stone over - not more oil stain visible.

OP post a photo of this flagstone desk, please. With a link back
here.

[Ed Pawlowski]

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 12:20:12 -0700, Oren <Or...@127.0.0.1> wrote:



>
>Certainly. OP could flip the stone over - not more oil stain visible.

Yes, if it is square. Most flagstones are irregular and cannot be
flipped.

[Oren]

Sure. I've not seen a side of flagstone that was flat level, used on
a desk, for a decent writing surface. Flagstone is split and ya never
get a smooth, level surface for writing upon.

I'd love for the OP to post a photo of the desk stone surface.

<g>

[WW]

"Bruce K." wrote in message
news:sinj19tdom4121h9q...@4ax.com...

I use GUNK engine cleaner on concrete. After it soaks into the oil it is
water soluble for clean up. WW

[micky]

Good idea. But won't the desk legs point up if he does that.

Actually I think it's just as likely it's a flagstone deck, and he's
using deck wrong. The stone may not be as flat on the other side,
but once it's out of the dirt,

What about a propane or MAPP gas torch. He could find flagstone
scraps, spill oil on them , and test the more outrageous methods to
see which one works.

>
>OP post a photo of this flagstone desk, please. With a link back
>here.

A guy I barely new once lent me his piano (when he moved to a
furnished house that had a piano.) I was very happy to have it. He
lent me other furniture too, including a leather topped coffee table.

Everything was fine for 3 years, I kept a plant on the cofffee
table, but I put it on a paper napkin to protect the surface from the
plastic pot. One day i overwatered, but didn't notice becuase it
took a while for the water to reach the dish and overflow.

I found the texture of the entire paper napkin 6x6" or so, embossed
in the leather. I tried everything, Neets food oil, and other
things I forget now. I called about getting new leather inlaid.
Hundreds of dollars, and I figured he might want the money instead.

Then a year or more later I needed the space and I put the table in
the basement of a friend's house, a basement with stone walls. A few
years later, after about 8 years total, the man called about his piano
(etc.) So I went to get the table. After 4 or more years in the
basement, the leather looked perfect. I couldn't find the damage even
though I knew where it had been. Humidity?? And to top it off, he
told me he didnt't want the table. I thought he'd said it was one of
the things he wanted most.