How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage when possible, and attempt to remove those stains right away, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the house, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Cedar Park that can remove the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the cause for stains on concrete. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the most common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, of course, there are countless other things that can leave an unsightly oil stain on concrete. So let’s review a few 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 spots 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 best to leave the litter on the oil stain for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Then you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete 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 not true. However, Coke does have strong 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 with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another popular home cleaning remedy product.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to cover the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, somewhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add blue dishwashing liquid and some 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 Coke method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to remove bad stains on clothes. It’s also a great option for getting rid of bad oil stains on concrete too!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the oil stain. You will want to cover it entirely. 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 might be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Cedar Park
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY home remedies. That’s when it is 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 little money. You can cause major damage that is complicated to repair if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Cedar Park Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without destroying it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Cedar Park Pressure Washing 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 enough patience to do it right. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.