How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look bad, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and attempt to eliminate those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Hampton that can eliminate the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the common ways 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 cause an unsightly oil stain on concrete. So let’s review a few of the best DIY tips 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 spots where there is a lot of oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle the cat litter over the oil, getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s a good idea to leave the litter on the oil stain for 24 hours so it will absorb as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat as necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Then you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning techniques.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. That said, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties for greasy stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coca-Cola on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy product.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to cover the stain with the baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere from 30 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing liquid and water and scrub hard until you have created a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for maximum penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like with the Coca-Cola method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to clean off dirty stains on clothes. It’s also a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains on concrete as well!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it completely. Let this dry mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it could be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Hampton
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a little money. You can cause major damage that is extremely difficult to fix if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks on a driveway that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Hampton Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without ruining it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Hampton Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it right. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.