# Best Degreaser for Concrete Floors: A Facility Manager's Guide

> Concrete is porous, so oil and grease soak below the surface — a degreaser lifts both. JANITORI No.71 and No.72 MAX cost from $0.06/L, made in Canada since 2010.

- **URL:** https://janitori.com/blogs/the-clean-room/best-degreaser-for-concrete-floors-a-facility-managers-guide

Concrete doesn't just get dirty — it absorbs whatever lands on it. Oil, grease, and hydraulic fluid soak into concrete's porous surface, and a general-purpose or pH-neutral floor cleaner glides across the top without touching what's already below it. That's the gap a degreaser is built to close.

This guide covers why concrete needs a dedicated degreaser, how to pick between a direct-spray product and a heavy-duty concentrate, the exact steps to pull an oil stain out of a slab, and what it actually costs to keep a warehouse, garage, or loading-dock floor grease-free.

 **Key Takeaways**
- Concrete is porous — oil and grease penetrate below the surface, so a degreaser (not a general-purpose cleaner) is required to break the stain out of the pores, not just wipe the top of it.
- JANITORI No.72 MAX concentrate (20 mL per 4 L water, 1:200) covers most concrete degreasing at $0.06 per litre of working solution — one 4 L jug makes 800 L.
- No.71 works full-strength, straight from the jug, for spot oil stains and daily shop-floor touch-ups that don't justify mixing a batch.
- Both formulas are plant-derived and biodegradable, which matters wherever wash water reaches a floor drain, wash bay, or storm sewer.

 **Table of Contents**
- [Why Does Concrete Need a Degreaser Instead of a Regular Floor Cleaner?](#why-concrete-different)
- [Which JANITORI Degreaser Should You Use on Concrete?](#which-product)
- [How Do You Remove Oil Stains From a Concrete Floor?](#how-to-remove-stains)
- [Is a Plant-Based Degreaser Strong Enough for Garage and Warehouse Floors?](#plant-based-strong-enough)
- [What Does It Cost to Degrease a Commercial Concrete Floor?](#cost-to-degrease)
- [Frequently Asked Questions](#faq)

## Why Does Concrete Need a Degreaser Instead of a Regular Floor Cleaner?

Concrete is porous, so oil and grease soak below the surface instead of sitting on top of it — a general-purpose or [pH-neutral floor cleaner](/products/floor-cleaner-janitori-no-61) lifts surface dirt but can't break down grease that has already worked its way into the slab. A degreaser is formulated specifically to emulsify oil and grease so they release from the pores and rinse away.

This is also why the same stain can look "cleaned" after a mop pass and reappear a day later — a general cleaner moved the surface film around without touching the reservoir of oil sitting a few millimetres down. Unsealed and lightly sealed concrete (the finish in most warehouses, garages, and loading docks) is the most absorbent; a fully epoxy-coated floor holds oil closer to the surface, but still needs a degreasing agent rather than a rinse-only cleaner to fully lift it.

## Which JANITORI Degreaser Should You Use on Concrete?

Use [No.71](/products/degreaser-janitori-no-71) full-strength for spot stains and daily touch-ups, and [No.72 MAX](/products/degreaser-max-janitori-no-72) diluted 1:200 for whole-bay floors, recurring maintenance, or heavier carbonized buildup.

 | Product | Format | Best For | Price

 | **[JANITORI No.71](/products/degreaser-janitori-no-71)** | Direct spray or light dilution | Spot oil stains, daily shop-floor touch-ups, small garages | $42.95 / 4L

 | **[JANITORI No.72 MAX](/products/degreaser-max-janitori-no-72)** | 1:200 concentrate (20 mL per 4L water) | Whole-floor degreasing, warehouses, loading docks, recurring maintenance | $47.95 / 4L (also 20L)

Both are plant-derived, 0% VOCs, phosphates, or petroleum solvents, and part of our [biodegradable cleaning products](/collections/biodegradable-cleaning-products) line — made in Montreal since 2010.

[Shop Degreaser MAX No.72 — $47.95 / 4L](/products/degreaser-max-janitori-no-72)

## How Do You Remove Oil Stains From a Concrete Floor?

Apply degreaser to the stain, let it dwell 5-10 minutes to penetrate the concrete, agitate with a stiff broom or scrub pad, then rinse thoroughly with water — repeat once on stains that have set for more than a few days.
- **Apply.** For a fresh or small spot, spray No.71 directly onto the stain. For a whole bay or an older stain, mop or spray on a 1:200 No.72 MAX solution (20 mL per 4L water).
- **Let it dwell.** Give the degreaser 5-10 minutes to penetrate the pores and break the bond between the oil and the concrete. Don't let it dry on the surface.
- **Agitate.** Work the stain with a stiff-bristle push broom, deck brush, or scrub pad. This is what actually pulls the loosened grease out of the concrete's texture — degreaser alone doesn't do the lifting.
- **Rinse thoroughly.** Hot or cold water both work. Squeegee or wet-vac the rinse water toward a floor drain rather than letting it pool and re-settle into the slab.
- **Repeat if needed.** Oil that has sat for weeks or months may need a second application — don't scale up the dilution ratio to compensate; a second full cycle at the same ratio is more effective than one over-strength pass.

## Is a Plant-Based Degreaser Strong Enough for Garage and Warehouse Floors?

Yes — plant-derived surfactants break the molecular bond between oil and a surface the same way petroleum solvents do, without the VOC off-gassing that makes solvent-based degreasers a ventilation problem in enclosed bays. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety flags petroleum solvents and their vapours as a respiratory and fire-hazard concern under [WHMIS 2015](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/whmis_ghs/) — a real consideration in a closed garage bay or warehouse with limited air exchange.

No.72 MAX is formulated at concentrate strength specifically for heavy, carbonized, or long-set grease — the kind that accumulates on manufacturing floors, loading docks, and vehicle bays — so "plant-derived" describes the ingredient source, not a reduction in cutting power.

## What Does It Cost to Degrease a Commercial Concrete Floor?

At 1:200 dilution, one $47.95 jug of No.72 MAX makes 800 litres of working solution — $0.06 per litre. A typical loading-dock or single-bay garage degreasing pass uses roughly one diluted 4L batch ($0.24), which covers several hundred square feet of floor.

 | Product | Price | Dilution | Working Solution Yield | Cost / L

 | **[JANITORI No.72 MAX](/products/degreaser-max-janitori-no-72)** | $47.95 / 4L | 1:200 | 800L | **$0.06**

 | **[JANITORI No.71](/products/degreaser-janitori-no-71)** (direct spray) | $42.95 / 4L | Full-strength or light dilution | ~1,333 sprays | $0.032 / spray

Ready-to-use degreasers sold by the litre typically run several dollars per litre once you account for the fact that you're paying to ship and store mostly water. Buying a concentrate and diluting on-site is the main lever on cost at scale — independent of the biodegradable question entirely. It also matters for runoff: facilities whose wash water reaches a floor drain, wash bay, or storm sewer should confirm what they're sending downstream. The [Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment](https://ccme.ca)'s environmentally preferable purchasing guidance for cleaning products flags phosphates, VOCs, and non-biodegradable surfactants as the three factors to check — all three are 0% in both JANITORI formulas.

[Shop Degreaser No.71 — $42.95 / 4L](/products/degreaser-janitori-no-71)

## Frequently Asked Questions

## Can you use a degreaser on sealed or coated concrete floors?

Yes. Sealed and epoxy-coated concrete still needs a degreasing agent to lift oil sitting on or just below the coating — a rinse-only cleaner won't fully release it. Test on an inconspicuous area first, as some sealants react differently to different formulas.

## Will a degreaser strip a concrete sealant or epoxy coating?

JANITORI's degreasers are plant-derived and don't contain the harsh solvents most likely to soften or dull a coating, but no degreaser is guaranteed safe on every sealant chemistry. Spot-test an inconspicuous area before treating the full floor.

## How often should a warehouse or garage floor be degreased?

High-traffic bays with regular vehicle or equipment use benefit from a scheduled degreasing pass — weekly to monthly depending on soil load — plus spot treatment on fresh spills as they happen. Waiting for oil to set for weeks makes it harder to fully lift.

## Is it safe to rinse degreaser into a floor drain?

Both JANITORI formulas are plant-derived, biodegradable, and free of phosphates, EDTA, and petroleum solvents — the factors CCME's purchasing guidance checks for. Always confirm your facility's local discharge requirements before sending any wash water to a drain, especially where it connects to a storm sewer rather than a treated sanitary line.

## What's the difference between a concrete cleaner and a concrete degreaser?

A concrete cleaner is built to lift surface dirt and dust; a degreaser is built to break the bond between oil/grease and the concrete pores it has soaked into. Routine floor maintenance uses a cleaner — an actual oil or grease stain needs a degreaser.

[Get Degreaser No.71 — Made in Canada](/products/degreaser-janitori-no-71)

[Get Degreaser MAX No.72 — Heavy-Duty](/products/degreaser-max-janitori-no-72)

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