Method

General Cleaning

Examples are countertop cleaning, laundry pre-soak, wheel rims, engine cleaning, boat bilge treatment, and other such surfaces.

We recommend our 32-ounce spray bottle, Ready-to-Use (RTU) formula.

Spray at a distance of 6 to 12 inches,  using 2-3 pumps; this will create an approximately 6-inch circle of De-Oil-It. Allow it to soak for a few minutes and then wipe away.

For heavy-duty applications such as degreasing wheel rims, engines, and boat bilges we recommend 10-15 minutes of soaking time before rinsing with water.

When cleaning glass we recommend spraying, wiping, and rinsing; do not soak De-Oil-It on glass surfaces for more than a few minutes or it will possibly “etch” the glass.

Bucket Cleaning

For cleaning floors, use 2 capfuls from the De-Oil-It 1 gallon (or 2.5-gallon containers); if using a 32-ounce spray bottle, spray 3-4 times in the bottom of the bucket before adding water (approximately 2-2.5 gallons of water).

You can expect to be able to clean 400-600 sq. ft. of the floor surface. We recommend creating zones so that you do not exceed more than 400-600 sq. ft. Change water and De-Oil-It before cleaning the next “zone”.

For cleaning cars, boats, etc. use 1-2 capfuls of De-Oil-It in the bottom of a clean bucket, then fill with water. Using a sponge, clean rag or soft brush liberally apply the De-Oil-It and water cleaning solution. Scrub as necessary to remove dirt and grime; rinse thoroughly.

Power Washing

For heavy equipment cleaning such as construction equipment, trains, 40 ft. containers, etc. it is most likely necessary to use a pressure or power washer.

Power washing using 95-105 degrees Fahrenheit water is preferred when creating your cleaning solution (De-Oil-It Industrial Strength Concentrate – “ISC” mixed with water). We recommend rinsing or power/pressure washing the surface to remove as much particulate matter as possible, then apply De-Oil-It cleaning solution  (De-Oil-It and water), and soak for 15 minutes before power washing (using hot water) or pressure washing (which typically uses available non-heated water sources). During the soaking phase, you might need to agitate with a brush to mix in the cleaning solution to the dirty areas especially if caked with sludge (however the action from the pressure/power washer is sufficient in most cases). Rinse thoroughly, and repeat until desired results are obtained.

We recommend a 1:1 solution of De-Oil-It ISC plus the equivalent measure of water for very dirty surfaces (perhaps caked with sludge, oil, or hydraulic fluids that have leaked and caked with dirt). Or you can effectively clean heavy-duty equipment surfaces with a 4:1 solution (4 parts water, and 1 part De-Oil-It). The most concentrated cleaning solution we recommend is 1:3, meaning 1 part water, and 3 parts De-Oil-It).

DO NOT USE ISC (De-Oil-It Industrial Strength Concentrate) by itself; De-Oil-It requires water in the cleaning solution; just spraying on the concentrate followed by pressure washing is not recommended.  The only cleaning application whereby you would use ISC by itself is if an accredited environmental group, such as the EPA, allows De-Oil-It to contain oil spills on water; in this case, you would surround the oil spill with ISC which will prevent and significantly slow down the spreading of the oil spill.

Parking lots

It is necessary to calculate the square foot coverage of the entire parking lot. We recommend DRAFTLOGIC, as this tool utilizes Google Earth so that you can visually see the surface you are measuring with relatively easy-to-use tools to create zones, and then add together the net square foot coverage of all zones.

When washing small square foot areas such as driveways, it is best to use a 1.5 to 5-gallon pump or electrically assisted sprayer with a 20-25 psi. Spray a thin layer of DOI on the surface, soak for 15 minutes, and possibly agitate with a broom to work the DOI into stains. For the most part, it might be easier to use the 32-ounce spray bottle to spray 3 pumps directly onto an oil leak on the driveway and coat directly on and around the stain/spill; but depending on how large this is or if you want to wash the entire driveway. If that is the case, use a 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 5-gallon sprayer that sprays more evenly, with less effort than squeezing a 32-ounce spray bottle. Adding RTU directly to a 1.5-to-5 gallon sprayer is fine; there is no need to further dilute. If the driveway is in need of intense cleaning then multiple applications using RTU are required. Alternatively, ISC can be used to create a 1:1 heavy-duty cleaning solution; it all depends on how dark the stains are; if the concrete is particularly dirty because of its porous nature, and if the calcium in cement binds hard to oil which makes cleaning difficult.

Oil Remediation

Please contact us at info@deoilit.com so we can provide the recommended methodology using one of two procedures; the first is for soil contamination up to 2 feet in depth; the second is cleaning soil contamination greater than 2 feet in depth.

This proven system has reduced conventional oil remediation cleaning of soil from approximately 3-4 months down to approximately 4-6 weeks using a range of 3-8 applications.

Selecting between light, medium, and heavy-duty cleaning of large surface areas

Light duty cleaning is meant for the regularly scheduled cleaning of large square foot surfaces after the initial more concentrated cleaning solutions are utilized. This will accomplish surface area cleanliness which can be maintained along with environmental preservation. Light duty cleaning will continually degrade hydrocarbons that have been built up in the past and are continuously added to the environment. Light duty cleaning is formulated with Florida EPA in mind, meaning the 30:1 ratio is what is allowed to be used for water runoff into grasses, water and storm drains.

Medium duty cleaning is meant to be the starting point for regularly scheduled cleaning tasks (such as every two weeks or once a month, for example). Along with input from professional pressure washer groups already using DOI, Medium duty cleaning is good for the first 3 cleaning tasks; this seems to alleviate stains in concrete or at least reduce to the least visibility possible. Medium duty cleaning is a ratio of 4:1 which is exactly RTU.

Heavy duty cleaning is used for all visible spills of oil, gas, diesel, etc. on surfaces and/or for dark stains. A ratio of 1:1 works well for a first-time cleaning if the area has a lot of visible standing oil, fuel, or dark stains. Deciding if an area needs heavy duty cleaning is all about observation; if it looks bad, then treat it in the most vigorous way possible but never Industrial Strength without dilution which is the ISC “cleaning solution” (H2O: DOI). 

Steps to follow

Once you have determined your level of cleaning, follow these steps to calculate the ratio of water to De-Oil-It needed to create your cleaning solution:

  • Calculate a square foot measurement of the parking lot, parking garage, or dock area.
  • Decide on cleaning solution strength: Heavy duty, Medium Duty, Light Duty.  (See section above)                                                                                        Heavy Duty = 1:1 water to DOI-ISC; this dilution = “De-Grease-It”. Medium Duty = 4:1 water to DOI-RTU. Light Duty = 30:1 water to DOI-ISC
  • Create cleaning solution
    Heavy Duty-SqFt * 0.0776 = gallons of cleaning solution. Gallons of cleaning solution * 0.50 = amount of DOI-ISC. Add H2Oto the remainder of the cleaning solution.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Medium Duty-SqFt * 0.0389 = gallons of cleaning solution. Gallons of cleaning solution * 0.20 = amount of DOI-ISC. Add H2O to the remainder of the cleaning solution.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Light Duty-SqFt * 0.0194 = gallons of cleaning solution. Gallons of cleaning solution * 0.03 = amount of DOI-ISC. Add H2O to the remainder of the cleaning solution.
  • Preclean the surface to be washed. This can be by broom, but most pressure washers hose off the surface to get rid of particulate matter (dirt, pebbles, etc.); this also helps to add moisture to the area being cleaned.
  • Apply cleaning solution by a sprayer onto the surface, and allow to soak for 15 minutes. This will most likely be much easier using a sprayer that can deliver 20-25 psi minimally (higher is ok but not always necessary). Spray the cleaning solution onto the surface, soak for 15 minutes, and possibly agitate using a broom for stubborn stains.
  • Rinse. A pressure washer can be utilized for this step. In some cases pressure washing groups have added a couple of cup-fills of De-Oil-It to the soap container on the pressure washer; this isn’t mandatory but in some cases, if the surface is really dirty this isn’t a bad idea, it just requires more time and effort to rinse.
  • Observe. Observation can help determine if another application is required or not until the next cleaning cycle. In large remediation projects on soil at this step, hydrocarbon measurement dictates applying another cleaning solution.