Sunday, July 8, 2012

In which I clean up my mess

As you know, spilled a bunch of oil in the asphalt parking lot of my apartment building last post.

Trying to be a good neighbor and tenant, I attempted to clean it up using some remedies I found online.  First I covered it in kitty litter, rubbed it in and then swept it up.  Unfortunately, it seems that the recommended kitty litter is the clay kind and I only had silica crystals.  Still, they seemed to do their job.  The liquid oil is mostly gone, and the smaller crystals turned brown, so I was just left with a stain.

Next, the internet said to scrub it with detergent.  Once again, I failed to have the prescribed type.  They call for powder, and I had liquid.  I poured it on, scrubbed with a brush, let it sit, and rinsed it away.  Unfortunately, this did not work so well, and the parking lot is still stained.  I suspect it will go away with time, as the asphalt will absorb the oil, but I may try the powdered detergent at a later date.

Dishsoap was also great at removing oil from me, so that may also be worth a shot.

UPDATE:  The powdered detergent actually did a pretty good job.  You need A LOT of water  to rinse it away though, so make sure you have a hose or rain on the the way.  I don't recommend schlepping a tiny wastebasket from your kitchen like I did.

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