How to Get Grill Grease Off Concrete: A List of Remedies

August 26, 2022

You can use baking soda, acetone, cat litter and cola, TSP, and various other components.

Growing up in a grilling household, grill grease spills were pretty common. This meant that my family had to come up with inventive ways of removing them. And, now, I share these with you!

In this post, I will show you how to get grill grease off concrete in both simple and complex. Let’s get started!

How to Get Grill Grease off Concrete

The Key to Removing Grease Stains – Acting Quickly

Listen, we have all been there – after a long and tiring cookout, the last thing that you want to do is to have to clean grease from concrete.

That being said, acting in a quick and timely manner is what will save you time and effort later on. So, whenever you do notice a grease stain, it is time to get cleaning.

Always Be Careful

It doesn’t matter how mild the ingredients that you are dealing with may seem, do a favor and wear rubber gloves. You can save yourself irritation, rashes, and dry, peeling skin.

It is a good idea to wear safety goggles as well. If you do get any of the ingredients or chemicals in your eye, make sure to wash it out immediately with lots of clean water.

Woman with cleaning liquids

Top Methods of Getting Grease Stain Off Concrete Surface

Here are your main options to effectively remove grease off concrete:

1. Baking Soda and Dishwashing Soap

The great thing about this remedy is that you probably already have everything that you need. As such, you can get started right away. This option works best for mild staining.

The first thing that you require is lots of baking soda. This ingredient is an excellent cleaner – not only does it pair well with other components such as dish soap and vinegar, but baking soda is also abrasive enough to remove cooking grease stains.

Pour baking soda over the entire stain and let it sit for about an hour – the longer the better, particularly with old grease stains.

Next, add liquid dishwasher detergent to the baking soda. Use a stiff nylon scrub brush to work the dish soap in. Scrub at the stain until you are sure that it is gone. Rinse the area off and allow to dry.

If grease stains still remain on the concrete surface, repeat the process once more.

2. White Vinegar, Washing Soda, and Soap

This is another remedy where you probably have most of the ingredients stocked up. You may not be too familiar with washing soda, though. This is an ingredient in laundry detergent and also goes by the name sodium carbonate.

In a large bucket, add half a cup of washing soda, two tablespoons of white vinegar, and a small amount of dish soap. Add in two cups of water and mix.

Scoop this out and apply as a thick covering on your concrete driveway or surface. Then, use a stiff nylon brush to scrub at the stain until it is gone. Rinse with water and allow to dry.

3. Cat Litter, Cola, Bleach, and Laundry Detergent

Yes, you wouldn’t ordinarily think of combining these components together but these are special circumstances. I would considered this trick if you have heavy duty stains on concrete.

Start by spreading cat litter on the grill grease. Next, up walk over the litter until it is crushed and pressed into the strain. I would suggest wearing old shoes as you don’t want to mess up your good pairs.

Leave this here for a while and then use an old broom to sweep away the litter. After this, pour cola over the grill grease. Save your money here – any brand will have the same impact. Use a stiff brush to scrub the cola into the stain.

Let the liquid sit there for about half an hour. If you feel that it is drying out, add more cola over the area. Rinse off the soda with water.

You will notice a discolored area here, but don’t worry, you are about to get rid of it. This will be done using the bleach and laundry soap. Now, make sure that the soap is ammonia-free.

In a bucket, mix one cup of laundry soap and one cup of bleach. Then, pour in a gallon of hot water. Place this on the stain and use a scrub brush to work it in. Once you are done, wash it all out and let it air dry.

4. Trisodium Phosphate and Sawdust

Yes, there is some science involved when you want to learn how to get grill grease off concrete. Trisodium phosphate which is more commonly known as TSP is an inorganic compound that proves to be an excellent alkaline cleaner when combined with water.

Now, I should warn you that this solution can take a bit more time to remove grill grease but will still do the trick. In addition to the TSP, you are also going to need sawdust.

First, dissolve one cup of TSP in a gallon of water. After this, add enough sawdust to create a thick consistency, much like a paste.

Scoop this out and spread it over the main grill grease as well as other grease stains nearby. Leave it overnight – make sure that kids or pets don’t go near this while it is setting in.

Once the concoction is dry enough to be swept away, do so.

5. Acetone and Baking Soda

You can think of this as a poultice remedy – you will see why in just a bit! This is one of your strongest options for how to get grill grease off concrete, but it can be an abrasive one as well, so proceed with caution.

To two cups of acetone, add enough of baking soda to form a paste. Then, apply this to the stain in a thick layer. Lay down plastic wrap over this area and tape it down.

Once again, make sure kids and pets stay away. Leave for at least 24 hours and then sweep away.

Lady cleaning kitchen surface with chemical

Prevention is Better Than the Cure

If you are like most people, then you tend to grill in one place each time. I would suggest applying a sealer to this area to create a stainless concrete surface. This makes it less likely that the stain will set in.

Or, simply apply a plastic sheet to that area while grilling. It may not be the most aesthetically appealing thing, but at least you will save yourself a great deal of trouble later on.

So, there you have it – all you need to know about how to get grill grease off concrete. Some of these use things that you already have around the house while others will require a shopping trip. Go ahead give these remedies a try and see which one works for you best!

By Kristy J. Norton
I'm Kristy – a chef and connoisseur of all things BBQ! You can find me either in my kitchen (or someone else's) or at a big outdoor barbecue surrounded by friends and family. In both my professional and personal life I’ve picked up more than a few tips and tricks for turning out delicious food. I consider it a privilege to share it with others!
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