Oil Dry for Oil Spills and Leaks
Still Using Oil Dry for Oil Spills and Leaks?
Absorbent Pads, Socks and Spill Kits Are The Most Effective Way To Clean Up Spills
Many facilities still use oil dry at their facilitates. Oil Dry goes by many names – Kitty Litter, Oil Dri, Cat Litter, Clay Absorbent – however they all have the same result. They are not as effective as using oil absorbent pads!
Here are questions we get asked all the time about Oil Dry:
Is Kitty Litter for Oil Spills a good absorbent for Oil?
The simple answer is no – Kitty Litter or Oil Dry is not a good absorbent for Oil. While it looks like the oil gets absorbed by kitty litter, technically the oil never gets fully absorbent and just sits on top of the surface of the Kitty litter.
Oil Dry vs. Kitty Litter vs. Clay – what’s the difference?
There is no difference between oil dry or kitty litter. They are both a clay based absorbent used to quickly clean up oil on the ground. They both have one thing in common – they are not effective and can actually be hazardous to your health when inhaled.
Oil Dry Absorbents – what’s the different between them and oil absorbent pads?
While oil dry absorbents like kitty litter and clay absorbents clean up the oil on the surface of the ground, they are often heavy and cumbersome to use. Oil absorbent pads are more effective to use. While they are healthier for the user, they can also be easily disposed of and lifted off of the ground when they are fully absorbed with oil.
Here are some reasons we do not recommend using oil dry or kitty litter:
1) It is hazardous for your health – breathing in the oil dry is put on the ground, there is a dust that goes into the air which when breathed in can get into your lungs and cause respirator issues. Oil absorbents pads and socks contain no dust.
2) It’s dirty – clay can get stuck in everything from the soles of your shoes to the tires on a truck or forklift, causing the clay to move from an area where the oil spill was to other areas in your facility, such as the office or manufacturing floor. Oil pads stay in one place and cannot be tracked.
3) It can damage machinery and other parts – because the clay absorbent gets in the air and some of the pieces are so small you can barely see them, when they are tracked or taken to other places in the warehouse, they can put into machinery and cause that machinery to not work as effectively.
4) It’s heavy and requires a lot of labor – a typical 50-lb bag of kitty litter or oil dry clay absorbs about 4-gallons of oil. In addition to lifting the heavy bag and then putting it on the ground, you then have to move it around to absorb the oil and then sweep it up. A 10-lb pack of our absorbent pads absorb up to 30-gallons of oil and only weighs 10-lbs. Plus, if you have a small spill, a few pads weigh less than 1 lb!
It’s great to examine the way you are using kitty litter absorbent in your facility to absorb oil. While each bag is cheap, it is ineffective, doesn’t absorb much, is heavy and just don’t look great!
Ypers Spill Control Absorbents and Spill Kits Are More Effective Than Clay and Granular Absorbents For Cleaning Up Spills.
Please contact us or check out our full line of oil absorbent pads, booms, socks, spill kits and secondary containment to help your facility (and employees) stay safe on the job and keep the spills to a minimum.