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Stain Removal
How to Clean Up Oil Spills Download Article Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Last Updated: May 1, 2025 References
Download Article
Cleaning Cooking Oil Spills
|
Using Detergent for Oil Paint Spills
|
Removing Oil Spills on Concrete
|
Helping with Environmental Disasters
|
Tips
|
Warnings
|
Things You'll Need
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH. Michelle Driscoll is a professional cleaner based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With over 7 years of experience, Michelle is the founder of Mulberry Maids, specializing in cleaning homes and small offices. Mulberry Maids services Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins and Loveland, and offers a variety of services, including commercial cleaning, move-in and move-out cleaning, and regular home cleaning. Michelle holds a Master's in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 105,265 times.
Whether you’re cleaning up a spill that came from cooking oil, paint, or motor oil, oil spills should be handled differently than other spills. You should never scrub an oil stain because it will spread. The types of oil may differ, but typically you will need an absorbent material and dish detergent to clean the spill. If you tackle it quickly and with the proper tools, you should be able to completely clean up the spill.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 4:
Cleaning Cooking Oil Spills
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1 Pick up pieces of glass. Glass can be a problem if you dropped the bottle that contained the oil. If glass is present in the spill, use garden gloves or ice cube tongs to pick up the pieces. Cover the glass in newspaper before putting it in the trashcan.
Wear shoes with rubber soles while cleaning up the glass.
2 Cover the area with an absorbent material. You can use salt, kitty litter, corn starch, sand, or oatmeal as the absorbent material. Pour the material over the entirety of the spill. Allow the material to sit on the spill for about fifteen minutes.[1]XResearch source
You can blot up some of the spill with paper towels before applying the absorbent material. You won’t need as much material if you blot up the spill first.
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3 Scoop up the absorbent material. You can use paper towels or a spatula to do this. Do not use a vacuum cleaner or mop at this point. Continue to scoop up the material until the absorbent material and oil is gone.
4 Wipe up the leftover residue. Use paper towels or slices of bread to wipe up the oil residue. You should be able to remove most of the residue. Don’t worry if the floor is slightly sticky when you’ve removed most of the residue.
5 Mop up the floor. Use a grease-fighting dish detergent when you mop. Combine the detergent with warm water. Go over the area where the spill was until the floor is clean and free of residue.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 4:
Using Detergent for Oil Paint Spills
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1 Pour dish detergent on the spill. You can blot up some of the oil with paper towels to begin before using the detergent. Use a grease-fighting dish detergent. Squirt a liberal amount of the detergent over the spill.
2 Scrub the area. Apply some water and begin to scrub the area. If the floor hasn’t been stained yet, you can use a cleaning brush. If some staining has occurred, use a rag. Scrub gently to avoid scratching the floor.
3 Apply more soap and water. You will probably have to apply more soap and water as you scrub up the oil paint. Do not use a lot of water when you apply more to the spill. Only apply about four tablespoons of water. Continue to scrub until the floor becomes clean and shiny.
You may have to scrub for a while for the spill to lift completely.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 4:
Removing Oil Spills on Concrete
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1 Sprinkle powder over the spill. You can use baby powder or talcum powder. Use cat litter if the spill is large. Spread the powder over the spill with a broom. Allow it to sit overnight.[2]XResearch source
2 Use a concrete cleaner or strong degreaser, as an alternative. You can find cleaners formulated for use on concrete, including some formulated to treat oil or grease. Alkaline cleaners are especially helpful for cleaning up this kind of spill.[3]XResearch source
Use the concrete cleaner or degreaser as an alternative to powder, not in addition to it.
3 Sweep up the residue. Use a broom to sweep up the powder after you have let it sit overnight. Most of the oil should have been absorbed at this point. You can use paper towels to blot up remaining residue.[4]XResearch source
4 Wash with detergent. You can use grease-fighting dish detergent, or you can use laundry detergent. Combine the detergent with hot water. You can let the detergent sit on the spill for about an hour if residue remains. Use a mop or a cleaning brush to wash the area.
5 Rinse with hot water. Use warm water to rinse off the detergent and remaining oil. The concrete should be clean at this point. You can repeat the process if any oil remains.
Advertisement Method 4 Method 4 of 4:
Helping with Environmental Disasters
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1 Take preventative measures. Drilling is one large factor that contributes to oil spills. Contact legislators in your state and ask them to vote for bills that ban drilling and any other environmentally friendly policies. You can also sign petitions calling for your state representatives to sign environmentally friendly bills.[5]XResearch source
2 Volunteer your help. Google “oil spill volunteers” to see what organizations are asking for volunteers. Call the organization and ask how you can help. In some instances, like caring for animals, only qualified professionals will be able to help. For other volunteering opportunities, like administrative help, volunteers may have to be trained. Untrained volunteering opportunities, like picking up trash, should be abundantly available.[6]XResearch source
Do not try to help wildlife unless you have the permission and knowledge to do so.[7]XResearch source
The Audubon Society, which protects birds and their habitats, is one place that you can contact for volunteering opportunities.
3 Report injuries and damage. If you are in the area where the oil spill occurred, call the local authorities to report injuries and damage that you feel has gone unnoticed. It is likely that there will be a hotline specifically for injured and dead animal sightings, but it will change depending on the event and location. Do not try to help injured animals unless you are qualified to do so.[8]XResearch source
4 Donate to organizations. In some cases, a donation is more helpful and preferred over volunteering. A couple of places you can donate to are the National Wildlife Federation and the Save Our Seabirds organization. During oil spills, companies like Dawn will donate a portion of your purchase to help the clean up effort.[9]XResearch source
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Tips
You can remove oil spills from fabric by soaking the material in hot water and putting a small amount of colorless dishwashing soap onto the stained area. Use a toothbrush to scrub the stain out in a gentle, circular motion. Rinse with vinegar or warm water. Machine wash according to the care label.[10]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Wipe your kitchen oil containers after each use so they aren't slippery. A slick bottle is easier to drop, making it more likely to shatter. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Wash any towels or cloths you used to clean the spill in hot water with regular laundry detergent. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Show More Tips Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
Do not scrub the oil without a cleaning product on it. You will only spread the stain.[11]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Things You’ll Need
Absorbent material (corn starch or kitty litter)
Paper towels
Towels
Dish detergent
Mop
Bucket
Talcum powder
Broom
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Co-authored by: Michelle Driscoll, MPH Professional Cleaner This article was co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH. Michelle Driscoll is a professional cleaner based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With over 7 years of experience, Michelle is the founder of Mulberry Maids, specializing in cleaning homes and small offices. Mulberry Maids services Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins and Loveland, and offers a variety of services, including commercial cleaning, move-in and move-out cleaning, and regular home cleaning. Michelle holds a Master's in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. This article has been viewed 105,265 times. 37 votes - 44% Co-authors: 9Updated: May 1, 2025 Views: 105,265 Categories: Stain RemovalArticle SummaryX
To clean up cooking oil spills in the kitchen, cover the area with an absorbent material, such as salt, kitty litter, corn starch, sand, or oatmeal. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes, then use paper towels or a spatula to scoop up the mess, and wipe up any leftover residue. If the area is still sticky or slick, mop it with a grease-fighting dish detergent. Alternatively, to clean up an oil paint spill, pour dish detergent on the affected area, add a small amount of warm water, and scrub it clean. To learn how to remove oil spills from concrete, keep reading!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Michelle Driscoll, MPH Professional Cleaner 37 votes - 44% Click a star to vote 44% of people told us that this article helped them. Co-authors: 9Updated: May 1, 2025 Views: 105,265
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Co-authored by: Michelle Driscoll, MPH Professional Cleaner This article was co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH. Michelle Driscoll is a professional cleaner based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With over 7 years of experience, Michelle is the founder of Mulberry Maids, specializing in cleaning homes and small offices. Mulberry Maids services Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins and Loveland, and offers a variety of services, including commercial cleaning, move-in and move-out cleaning, and regular home cleaning. Michelle holds a Master's in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. This article has been viewed 105,265 times. 37 votes - 44% Co-authors: 9 Updated: May 1, 2025 Views: 105,265 Categories: Stain Removal Article SummaryX
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1 Pick up pieces of glass. Glass can be a problem if you dropped the bottle that contained the oil. If glass is present in the spill, use garden gloves or ice cube tongs to pick up the pieces. Cover the glass in newspaper before putting it in the trashcan. 
2 Cover the area with an absorbent material. You can use salt, kitty litter, corn starch, sand, or oatmeal as the absorbent material. Pour the material over the entirety of the spill. Allow the material to sit on the spill for about fifteen minutes.[1] 
3 Scoop up the absorbent material. You can use paper towels or a spatula to do this. Do not use a vacuum cleaner or mop at this point. Continue to scoop up the material until the absorbent material and oil is gone. 
4 Wipe up the leftover residue. Use paper towels or slices of bread to wipe up the oil residue. You should be able to remove most of the residue. Don’t worry if the floor is slightly sticky when you’ve removed most of the residue. 
5 Mop up the floor. Use a grease-fighting dish detergent when you mop. Combine the detergent with warm water. Go over the area where the spill was until the floor is clean and free of residue. Advertisement 
1 Pour dish detergent on the spill. You can blot up some of the oil with paper towels to begin before using the detergent. Use a grease-fighting dish detergent. Squirt a liberal amount of the detergent over the spill. 
2 Scrub the area. Apply some water and begin to scrub the area. If the floor hasn’t been stained yet, you can use a cleaning brush. If some staining has occurred, use a rag. Scrub gently to avoid scratching the floor. 
3 Apply more soap and water. You will probably have to apply more soap and water as you scrub up the oil paint. Do not use a lot of water when you apply more to the spill. Only apply about four tablespoons of water. Continue to scrub until the floor becomes clean and shiny. 
1 Sprinkle powder over the spill. You can use baby powder or talcum powder. Use cat litter if the spill is large. Spread the powder over the spill with a broom. Allow it to sit overnight.[2] 
3 Sweep up the residue. Use a broom to sweep up the powder after you have let it sit overnight. Most of the oil should have been absorbed at this point. You can use paper towels to blot up remaining residue.[4] 
4 Wash with detergent. You can use grease-fighting dish detergent, or you can use laundry detergent. Combine the detergent with hot water. You can let the detergent sit on the spill for about an hour if residue remains. Use a mop or a cleaning brush to wash the area. 
5 Rinse with hot water. Use warm water to rinse off the detergent and remaining oil. The concrete should be clean at this point. You can repeat the process if any oil remains. Advertisement 
1 Take preventative measures. Drilling is one large factor that contributes to oil spills. Contact legislators in your state and ask them to vote for bills that ban drilling and any other environmentally friendly policies. You can also sign petitions calling for your state representatives to sign environmentally friendly bills.[5] 
2 Volunteer your help. Google “oil spill volunteers” to see what organizations are asking for volunteers. Call the organization and ask how you can help. In some instances, like caring for animals, only qualified professionals will be able to help. For other volunteering opportunities, like administrative help, volunteers may have to be trained. Untrained volunteering opportunities, like picking up trash, should be abundantly available.[6] 
3 Report injuries and damage. If you are in the area where the oil spill occurred, call the local authorities to report injuries and damage that you feel has gone unnoticed. It is likely that there will be a hotline specifically for injured and dead animal sightings, but it will change depending on the event and location. Do not try to help injured animals unless you are qualified to do so.[8] 
4 Donate to organizations. In some cases, a donation is more helpful and preferred over volunteering. A couple of places you can donate to are the National Wildlife Federation and the Save Our Seabirds organization. During oil spills, companies like Dawn will donate a portion of your purchase to help the clean up effort.[9] Advertisement