How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and ruin your home exterior, even if the stains are fairly new. Try to avoid oil stains on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and try to get rid of those stains right away, before they really set in.
If the 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 Plymouth that can get rid of even the most set-in stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the typical 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 mechanic
But, there are a lot of other things that can create an unsightly 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 easy first step for fresh oil stains where there is a lot of oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil, really getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the stain overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Next you can follow up 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 not true. But, Coke does have strong cleaning properties for greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coke on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To get rid of an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to cover the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, anywhere from 15 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add blue dishwashing soap and some 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 motion, then rinse.
Just like with the Coke method, you might have 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 actually a great product for getting rid of tough oil stains from 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 dry mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning method, so it may be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Plymouth
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for DIY home remedies. That’s when it may be 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 significant damage that is extremely difficult to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Plymouth Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without harming it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Plymouth Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.