How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil stains are still fairly new. Avoid oil stains on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and try to eliminate those stains right away, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the house, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Aurora that is able to eliminate even the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the typical ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, there are countless other things that can leave an unsightly oil spot on concrete. So let’s consider 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 simple first step for fresh oil stains where there is excess oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil, 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 absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off of the driveway the following day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning processes.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean up the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. That said, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties for oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (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 product.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere from 30 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add blue dishwashing detergent and some water and scrub hard until you have created a thick paste. Again, let this sit for the best penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular motion, 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 dirty stains on clothing. It’s actually a great product for removing tough oil stains from concrete as well!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it completely. Let this mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is more of 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 Aurora
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for home remedies. 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 little money. You can cause major harm that is difficult to repair if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Aurora Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without harming it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Aurora Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.