Ruined back garden.

[Drybonesthatdream]

My DP has managed to knock gearbox oil all over our concreted backyard and it absolutely reeks. He has apparently 'swilled' the yard with water but we've just had torrential rain and it's still stinking - any suggestions on how to get rid of it? I was thinking good old fashioned domestos and boiling water but there is not words to describe the smell!

If it is oil then you will need some kind of detergent to break it up. Water alone won't work.

Have you tried something like swarfega?

I've never even heard of swarfega 😂 All I know is that the yard smells like something's been pissing in the bins and its absolutely vile 😷 I'm slightly over sensitive to smells at the moment and it's making me gag whenever I leave the house.

Jeyes fluid would probably get rid of the oil, just be careful though if you or your neighbours have cats as it is very poisonous for cats

Washing up liquid might break the oil up, I think it's what's used on major oil spills. I'd try putting some neat onto an area, rubbing it in with something like a scrubbing brush then swilling down with very hot water.

I've had a go with fairy liquid and boiling water - slow process! It's starting to smell slightly better - thanks for the suggestions! Going to keep at it with the fairy liquid throughout the day!

The thing that worked best when I had oil on concrete: cat litter. Cover the patch, come back a while later, vacuum, job done.

Now I know this sounds strange but when my Dh car leaked oil on the concrete floor of our garage I was told to pour a can of full fat coke on the area and brush it in and it will get rid of the oil, as the affected area was only small I didn't bother brushing it in, left it think it was only a couple of days and it was gone, bloody marvellous.

eggsandwich oooh! I'll definitely give that a try! It absolutely bloody stinks and I'm absolutely sick trying to get rid of it - doesn't help that we're in a privately rented property!

Hold on. If he spilled it, why the hell are you cleaning it? Get him to do it.

nessy because he won't do it properly and the smell is apparently not bothering him whilst it's driving me up the wall. If I left him to his own devices our sitting room would look like a garage waiting area.

Try orange juice with bits in. Seriously.

Imagine what that oj is doing to our insides if it works for this. OMG.

If you don't want to do that, sprinkle bio washing powder over the oil soaked area.

I'll give the washing powder a go as I don't have orange juice! Thanks for the tips x