How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and age your home exterior, even if the oil stains are still relatively new. Avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway and in your garage if possible, and attempt to get rid of those stains fast, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Brandon that can get rid of even the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from vehicles is the cause for oil-stained concrete. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, there are several other things that can create an ugly oil spot on concrete. So let’s consider some of the best DIY methods to remove those oil stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a easy first step for new oil stains where there is a lot of oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil stain, really getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the oil stain for 24 hours so it will absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off the next day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning techniques.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. However, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To get rid of an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, somewhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing detergent and water and scrub hard until you have created a thick paste. Again, let this sit for optimal penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like the Coke method, you might need to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to wash off tough stains on clothes. It’s actually a great option for removing bad oil stains from concrete as well!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You will want to cover it entirely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add water to create a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it may be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN CITY
Some oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it may be time to call a professional pressure washing company to clean your home’s concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause major harm that is extremely complicated to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks on a driveway that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Brandon Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without ruining it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Brandon Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.