Cleaning grease spills quickly can save on higher costs later

Grease spills can get tracked all over and become a huge mess.

Cleaning it before it can become a bigger problem is the best solution.

Cleaning grease spills at restaurants

One type of job we do frequently is cleaning up grease spills for restaurants.  The grease spill usually happens one of three ways:

1. The grease is spilled by an employee as they carry it in a 5-gallon bucket to the grease bin.
2. The grease is spilled by the company that removes the grease as they empty the container.
3. The grease overflows the underground grease trap.
   

   Grease Spills Get Tracked And Become A Bigger Mess

Regardless of how it happens, the grease always makes a big mess as it spreads on its own or vehicles drive through it.  Getting the grease cleaned up quickly is a priority.

Cleaning other types of grease spills

Small Grease Spill Over A Long Period Of Time

The other kind of grease spill we deal with is a more subtle ‘spill’ because it happens in small batches over a long period of time.  This type of spill is caused by either of the first two options above, but rather than one large spill, it’s only a splash here or a dribble there.

As these little spills occur, they are ignored because they’re so small, but as they accumulate over time, they become a bigger problem. Eventually they have to be cleaned up.

The problem with pressure washing this kind of accumulation is that it happens in layers over a long period of time.  As the lower layers get baked by the sun and dried out by the wind, it hardens to almost a resin that is almost impossible to power wash off.

Grease Bin Area After Many Small Spills

Those hardened layers are covered by yet more grease that might be hard, soft or in between. And until we get the softer layers of grease cleaned away, we can’t know how much time and material it will take to clean up the lower layers – if they can even be cleaned up.

This information only applies to grease spills on concrete.  If grease is spilled on asphalt, there is virtually no way to clean up the mess completely unless its done immediately. Pressure washing right after the spill will wash away any grease sitting on the surface of the asphalt, but if the grease is allowed to soak in over time, it will soften the asphalt.  If we try to power wash it at this point, we’ll just dig holes in the softened asphalt.