You may have seen people using sand to clean up oil spills, and you’re wondering if that works. The answer is: it depends. Sand is considered an absorbent material so, it can work very well for oil spills. But if the sand grains get wet, they will become ineffective, so it’s important to have a plan B in case of bad weather. So if you’re dealing with a motor oil spill, try using dry sand as a first line of defense, and if that doesn’t cure the issue, switch to a more effective method.