How to Clean a Wood Stain Spill on a Garage Floor

How to Clean a Wood Stain Spill on a Garage Floor
Published: Jun 4, 2013
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
2 minute read

Step 1

Attack the spill as soon as possible to prevent the wood stain from settling into your garage floor. Cover the spill with old, absorbent rags -- terrycloth works wonders -- or paper towels.

Step 2

Blot up the wood stain. Set the rags aside for now.

Step 3

Sprinkle the remnants of the spill with a thin layer of kitty litter. Wait a few minutes for the litter to settle into the stain and then apply a second, thicker layer. Cover the area with plastic and let the kitty litter sit on the spill for 24 hours. The litter absorbs the wood stain, just as it’s intended to absorb liquid in kitty litter boxes.

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Step 4

Hose down the rags, especially if you have used oil-based wood stain, to eliminate a potential fire hazard. Roll up the rags, put them in a paper bag and dispose of them.

Step 5

Sweep the dried kitty litter into a dustpan and throw it away. If you tended to the stain very quickly, no stain should remain on your garage floor. Wipe the floor with paper towels.

Step 6

Remove any residue from the wood stain by sprinkling the area with powdered laundry detergent. Spray just enough water on the area to make a paste, swirling it around and rubbing it into the stain with a sponge. Repeat this step several times, if necessary, so that a thick paste is left to sit on top of the stain for 24 hours. Cover the area with plastic.

Step 7

Soak up the paste with paper towels. Hose down the area with warm or hot water.

Tips

Steer clear of wire brushes for this cleanup job. They look ferocious, and usually are: they can leave scratches on concrete.

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images

M.T. Wroblewski

With education, health care and small business marketing as her core interests, M.T. Wroblewski has penned pieces for Woman's Day, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal and many newspapers and magazines. She holds a master's degree in…

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