In backing the tractor up in the garage a couple days ago I was unaware the ballast box must have hit and pushed a mattock into the bottom of a plastic 5 gallon container completely full of used motor oil. Today I was looking back as I pulled the tractor back in and saw the mess! I guess I'm fortunate the floor was poured unlevel so the oil stayed only 3' out along the entire 24' back wall, but what a mess.

Needless top say it's under all kinds of things but once I take the stuff out how would you clean it up?

Lots of kitty litter?
At least is wasn't 5 gal of NEW motor oil.

When I worked in a automotive repair shop, we used to use “pig mats” from this company.
https://www.newpig.com/pig-oil...ent-mat-pad/p/MAT403

They worked really well for oil spills.

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“pig mats”

They do work, but for five gallons …

A lot has soaked in . The mats are a good start for whatever is still pooled . A couple of big sacks of oil-dri next .

I keep Pig mats around, but generally not for that much. Unfortunately, it seems like the oil dry products available now aren’t quite as good as I remember from a few decades ago.

Pig ROLL!

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Originally posted by P250UA5:
Lots of kitty litter?
At least is wasn't 5 gal of NEW motor oil.

Thanks. It looks like oil dry and kitty litter both use absorbent clay and TSC sells both. https://www.tractorsupply.com/...fQs6lyEaAlRGEALw_wcB

True 5 gallons of spilt "new" oil would really be depressing.

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Originally posted by ridewv:

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Originally posted by P250UA5:
Lots of kitty litter?
At least is wasn't 5 gal of NEW motor oil.

Thanks. It looks like oil dry and kitty litter both use absorbent clay and TSC sells both. https://www.tractorsupply.com/...fQs6lyEaAlRGEALw_wcB

True 5 gallons of spilt "new" oil would really be depressing.

I ended up with a 12" puddle when the oil filter on our Expedition drained the opposite way I expected.
Bought the cheapest litter available at the grocery store. Left it on the spot for a few days & it hot most of it out.

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Originally posted by P250UA5:


I ended up with a 12" puddle when the oil filter on our Expedition drained the opposite way I expected.
Bought the cheapest litter available at the grocery store. Left it on the spot for a few days & it hot most of it out.

I'm going to pick up cat litter or oil absorbent today. I've spilled a quart a few times but never more than that. God what a mess!

Kitty litter/oildri whichever is the cheapest. Throw it down and let set a few days. We even walk through it and grind it in. Then hit stain with some dawn or simple green. Let soak for a bit and wash it down. Can even take a stiff brush or broom to it while soaking.

Thanks simmy I'll dump it and let it sit for a few days. Fortunately I'm not really concerned about any stain or discoloration on the concrete in this garage.

Many years back I loaded a 53 footer with cased motor oil and 90W gear oil. Gear oil was in the nose of my trailer on pallets. Fork lift operator had a fork ride over top the previous pallet and stuck a 5 gallon pail at its base. From Newport News to New Hampshire I go. Damn stinking 90 weight all through my wood floor trailer. We had big coffee cans of Speedy Dry for clean up but the odor was very strong.

The first time reading the thread title, I was thinking 5 quarts. It just dawned on me 5 GALLONS. The Valdez called, it wants its oil back.

I realize it’s too late and you’ve taken care of it, but I would have used the giant aluminum dust pan I have to sweep up as much oil as I could and dumped it into an empty 5 gallon bucket. Then I’d use the oil dry.

At work we had the pig socks that are basically cloth tubes filled with saw dust. You circle them around the spill so it does not spread further.

All cleaned up? Got pics of the oil spill / 'environmental disaster'?

Note to self - Do NOT store a 'Mattock' ANYWHERE NEAR the waste oil storage facility!

Here around the shop we spill lots of stuff,,I've got a 30ga trash can filled it up with
oil dry from NAPA. I keep a used feed scoop in the can,Most of the spills are contained right away leaving it alot easier to clean up.

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Originally posted by nhracecraft:
All cleaned up? Got pics of the oil spill / 'environmental disaster'?

Note to self - Do NOT store a 'Mattock' ANYWHERE NEAR the waste oil storage facility!

I hate to admit it but no I haven't yet. Haven't been to town to get the oil dry, and the oil is confined to a 2-3 feet out from the 23' long back wall. A benefit of the slope in the floor by my D+ grade contractor 20 years ago. And there's a lot of crap to move as naturally stuff gets stacked along walls.