First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scoop up any solid or semi-solid grease with a rounded spoon or dull knife.
- Blot liquid grease with a clean white cloth or paper towels. Don't wipe it, since that spreads the stain.
- Keep heat off the spot, because heat sets grease.
Grease soaks into concrete because the slab is porous, so the sooner you absorb a spill, the less of it sinks in. Slab spots that are still wet tend to come up with an absorbent and a scrub, but grease that has dried into the slab for weeks may only fade a little. Whether the spot is wet or dried in decides the approach, so check that before you pick a method.
If the grease on your concrete is still wet, lift what you can with a stiff brush before it spreads. Dried-in spots need a longer soak, so plan on several rounds rather than one quick scrub. For old grease stains on a concrete patio or driveway, reach for an oxygen bleach powder.
Before you start
What concrete, brick & driveways can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Hot water
- Soaking
Use with care5
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
7 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Cornmeal, sand, sawdust or Fuller's EarthSoaks up the bulk of the grease before any water touches it. (opens Amazon)
- Laundry detergentMakes the hot cleaning solution for the first scrub. (opens Amazon)
- Stiff bristle brushWorks the cleaner into the surface texture. (opens Amazon)
- Dishwasher detergentUsed dry on a mark that stays after the first scrub.
- White cloths or paper towelsBlot up liquid grease without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Mineral spirits or naphthaOil-based solvent for old spots the scrub doesn't lift. (opens Amazon)
- Trisodium phosphateThe stronger soak for old stains. (opens Amazon)
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5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 5A few hours
Absorb the grease first
Quickly cover the stain with cornmeal, sand, sawdust or Fuller's Earth. Leave it on the stain for a few hours, then sweep or vacuum it up.
Step 2 of 5
Scrub with hot detergent water
Make a strong solution of laundry detergent and hot water. Wet the concrete around the spot, then scrub the stain with a stiff brush until the grease starts to lift. Rinse the area well with clean water.
Tip. Work from the outer edge of the spot toward the center so the grease doesn't spread.
Step 3 of 5A few minutes
Try a dry detergent sprinkle
If a dark mark is still there after rinsing, sprinkle dishwasher detergent dry over the wet spot. Let it stand a few minutes, rinse with hot water, then scrub and rinse once more.
Careful. Rinse all of the detergent off, because any left on the surface can dry into a film.
Step 4 of 5
Let the spot dry and check
Let the concrete dry all the way before you judge the result. A wet spot can look darker than it really is, so compare it with the concrete around it once it's dry.
Step 5 of 5
Repeat until the spot matches
If grease still shows, go back to the detergent scrub and repeat it, then let it dry again. Stop once the dry spot matches the concrete around it.
Careful. Oil stains can reappear just as you think they're gone, so check again after each drying.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for grease on concrete, brick & driveways
Look for a degreaser made for concrete or masonry that says it works on oil or grease. A product made for the stain usually beats a homemade mix.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on concrete, brick & driveways, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
Keep repeating the absorb-and-scrub round while the absorbent still picks up grease, and stop once a fresh layer comes up clean. Judge the spot only after the slab has dried out fully, since a damp patch can look like it's still stained. If the mark is still there after a couple of rounds on dry concrete, the grease has likely set into the pores, so move to the set-in steps.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your concrete, brick & driveways
Small spots on concrete
A small spot is the easiest version of this job, because the absorbent and the detergent scrub handle most of it. Use only a little absorbent so you can sweep it up cleanly, and keep the scrub inside the spot.
If a dark mark is left after one round, go straight to the dry detergent sprinkle rather than starting over. Small spots that have been sitting for days should be treated like dried-in stains.
Cooking, grill, and car grease
Cooking and car grease can be thicker, so the absorbent needs the full few hours to do its work. Sweep up every bit before any water goes on.
Grill grease that has dripped over the edge of a slab may have run into cracks, so scrub those edges as well as the middle. Repeat the detergent scrub a second time before you move to the dry sprinkle.
Concrete patio
Patio stains often come from a grill or a dropped plate of food, so expect a splash pattern rather than one spot. Put the absorbent on every splash at once, then work each one separately.
Once the patio has dried, check every splash, since the dark marks can be hard to see while the concrete is still wet.
Polished or painted concrete floor
On a painted floor, keep to the absorbent and the detergent scrub, and leave the oxygen cleaner off, since it is listed as unsafe on painted surfaces. Test any cleaner in a hidden corner first, and rinse it off right away.
On a polished floor, keep the scrub light and rinse well so no film is left on the shine. If the mark has sunk in, the stronger soaks are the next step, but use them as a last resort on a finished floor.
Concrete driveway
A driveway takes most of the oil drips, often from a parked car, so the grease is usually older and deeper than on a patio. Start with the absorbent and give it the full few hours, then use the stronger soak if the spot has dried in.
Sweep and rinse the area, then check after the drying step before you move on. Plan on more than one round, since a driveway spot rarely clears in a single pass.
Concrete pavers
Pavers have joints between the units, and grease can sit in those joints as well as on the face. Scrub the joints with the stiff brush and rinse them out, since the grease can travel down into them.
Sweep the joints clear once the spot has dried, then check the surrounding pavers for any dark marks.
Concrete tables and counters
A concrete table or counter is a small surface, so you can work the whole top with the absorbent and detergent steps in one session. Keep the scrub to the area around the spot, and rinse it off as soon as the scrub is done.
Use the stronger soaks only on the spot itself, not the whole top. Check the surface after it dries, and rinse it with plain water as the last step.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old grease is harder to lift than fresh grease, so start with the stronger soak. Dissolve 1 cup of trisodium phosphate in 1 gallon of hot water, mop it over the stain or pour it on, and let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Then scrub vigorously with a stiff brush, rinse thoroughly, and repeat if necessary.
If the spot has dried into a hard mark, make a paste of 1 cup strong powdered cleanser and 1 cup powdered chalk, with enough water to make a thin paste. Spread it over the stain, leave it overnight, and rinse with clear water.
For a deep stain, saturate the area with mineral spirits or naphtha, then cover the liquid with dry cement, talcum powder, cornstarch or kitty litter. Pack the poultice at least 1/8 inch thick, cover it with plastic for 24 hours, then sweep it off and repeat until no more grease comes out. Old stains that have soaked deep may only fade rather than vanish, and stronger methods carry more risk of damage to the surface.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on grease on concrete, brick & driveways?
Plenty of household cleaners get recommended for grease, but most of them don't belong on concrete. The ones below are the ones worth knowing about, with the reason each one is in or out.
Helps3Skip2Avoid1
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Baking soda + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
OxiClean's label says not to mix it with other household chemicals.
If they mix by accident: Don't use or store the mixture and don't seal it in a bottle. Open windows and leave the room if you notice fumes, coughing, eye or throat irritation. Rinse it away with plenty of water once the area is ventilated. If anyone has symptoms or swallowed it, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use poison.org.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use gasoline or lighter fluid
These are poor grease removers, they are flammable, and benzene is off the list too. Use mineral spirits or naphtha instead, and work in a ventilated room with no flames, pilot lights or sparks nearby.
Don't loosen grease with cooking oil
Unsaturated fats and oils left in a stain age into yellow marks, so they make the spot worse. Stick to the dry absorbent and the detergent scrub instead.
Don't mix bleach with ammonia
Bleach and ammonia give off a toxic gas, so never combine them on a patio, driveway or step. Rinse the slab with plain water between any two products you use.
Don't wipe up free grease
Wiping grease that's still sitting on top spreads it across the slab and pushes it into the pores. Cover the fresh spot with an absorbent first, then sweep it up once the powder has done its work.
Don't work with solvent near flames
Mineral spirits and naphtha are flammable, so keep sparks, pilot lights and open flames well away from the spot. Work outside or somewhere with plenty of fresh air moving through.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The stain fades but a dark shadow remains.
Grease is still deep in the slab. Move to the sodium citrate poultice or the solvent-and-absorbent step, and give each the full waiting time.
The absorbent stopped picking up grease, but the mark is still visible.
The loose grease is gone and the rest is bonded in the surface. Scrub with the laundry detergent solution or TSP, then rinse.
A light, clean patch now stands out from the rest of the slab.
Cleaning has lifted everyday dirt along with the grease. Scrub a wider area with the same detergent solution and rinse to blend it.
The poultice cracked and fell off early.
It dried too fast. Add new paste when it dries, as the method allows, and keep it in place for up to the full week.
When to call a professional
Call a masonry contractor when a deep, older stain has resisted the poultice steps, since stronger methods carry more risk of damage to the slab. Ask them to judge which poultice suits the stain, and tell them how long it has been there and what you have already tried.
Questions
Will a fresh grease stain stay on concrete?
Fresh spots usually lift completely with the first two steps. Old grease that has soaked deep into the surface is the one that can leave a faint mark behind, so keep working on it with the set-in methods.
Is dishwasher detergent safe to use on concrete?
It's only used when a dark mark stays after the detergent scrub. It needs a full rinse afterward, so nothing is left sitting on the surface.
What can I use instead of cornmeal?
Sand, sawdust or Fuller's Earth work the same way, so use whichever you can get. For a deep spot, talcum powder, cornstarch or kitty litter can serve as the dry cover.
Can I mix cleaners on concrete?
No. If you use more than one product, rinse the area well with plain water between them, because mixed products can give off hazardous fumes.
How long does an old grease stain take to lift?
There's no fixed time, but expect a poultice to need a full day and several rounds for an old spot. Start with the stronger soak, then move to the poultice if grease still comes up.
Can I use trisodium phosphate on concrete?
Yes, for a stubborn spot that the detergent hasn't lifted. Dissolve 1 cup of trisodium phosphate in 1 gallon of hot water, mop or pour it over the stain, and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes before you scrub. Rinse thoroughly afterward so no residue stays on the slab.
Is mineral spirits safe to use on a concrete driveway?
It can be, for oil that has soaked past the surface, but only after the free grease is gone. Scrub the spot with mineral spirits or naphtha, and work with good ventilation and no sparks or flames nearby. Both are flammable, so keep them away from any open flame while you use them.
How long should a poultice stay on a concrete stain?
Plan on about a day for a poultice to draw the grease out. Spread the layer at least 1/8 inch thick, cover it with plastic, and let it dry before you scrape or brush it off. Repeat the process if the stain is still visible.
Grease on other materials
Other stains on concrete, brick & driveways
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.