Best Sand for Motor Oil Spill Cleanup: A Practical Guide

Working on a car is messy business, and sometimes tools or containers can slip out of your hands. Spilling some motor oil can be a pain, but if you have some sand or sand-like materials around, cleanup should be a breeze, and the oil can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way --- don't just toss it in the trash.

Cleaning Up Oil Spills

• Although it can be a hassle, cleaning up oil spilled in the garage isn't an environmental disaster. Typically, some material is used to absorb --- or clump up --- the motor oil so it can be more effectively transferred to a proper storage container. This strategy is also used sometimes in ocean spills to clump up the oil and sink it to the sea bed.

Sand and Oil Cleanup

• While it isn't nearly as absorbent as some other materials, sand can be used to form clumps out of the motor oil to make it easy to shovel up. The sand needs to be allowed time to absorb the oil as well as some agitation to provide complete coverage to the affected area. Pools of oil can still form at the bottom of the sand pile if the sand is over-saturated.

Other Sandlike Materials

• While sand works, other materials do a far better job of absorbing the motor oil. Sawdust, for instance, is very good at absorbing liquid spills. Kitty litter can also be used. Its large grains are made of clay and have even more absorbent power.