How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look bad, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the spots are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil spots on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and try to remove those stains right away, before they really set in.
If the stain has been there for a while, like from before you purchased the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Roswell that is able to remove the most set-in stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the cause for oil-stained concrete. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination of fluids. Some of the typical ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, there are several other things that can leave an ugly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s look at some of the best DIY methods to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a easy first step for fresh oil spots where there is excess oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle the cat litter over the oil, really getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s a good idea to leave the litter on the stain overnight so it will absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so your pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
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. That said, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as 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 remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a while, somewhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add blue dishwashing detergent and water and scrub hard until there is a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for optimal penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like the Coke method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to clean off bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great product for getting rid of bad oil stains on concrete as well!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the stain. You want to cover it entirely. Let this mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning process, so it may be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Roswell
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to thoroughly clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause major damage that is complicated to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Roswell Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without harming it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Roswell Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.