How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and age your home exterior, even if the spots are fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and try to eliminate those stains quickly, before they 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 Clearwater that has the ability to eliminate even the most set-in stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the cause for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the typical ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing 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 many other things that can create an ugly oil spot on concrete. So let’s explore a few of the best DIY ways to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a simple first step for fresh oil spots where there is a lot of oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil, getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s best to leave the litter on the stain for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off the next day and repeat if necessary.
Throw away 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 tips.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, be assured, that is not true. But, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
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, anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add blue dishwashing liquid and water and scrub until you have created a thick paste. Again, let this sit for optimal penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like the Coca-Cola method, you might need to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to wash off bad stains on clothing. It’s actually a great product for getting rid of tough oil stains from concrete as well!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the 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 make a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Clearwater
Some oil stains on a driveway are too tough for home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to thoroughly clean your home’s concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a little money. You can cause major damage that is extremely difficult to repair 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 Clearwater Pressure Wash Plus is definitely the smart choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without damaging 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
Clearwater Pressure Wash Plus also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete little by little – 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 in Clearwater can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.