How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still fairly new. Avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage when possible, and try to eliminate those stains quickly, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Elizabeth that can eliminate the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing 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 stain on concrete. So let’s look at some of the best DIY ways 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 spots where there is excess oil that has to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter all over the oil, really 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 overnight so it will absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Then you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning processes.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean the roads, but, be assured, that is not true. That said, Coca-Cola does have strong cleaning properties for oily stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as 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 another common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a while, somewhere from 15 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Next, add blue dishwashing liquid and some water and scrub hard 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 with the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to eliminate dirty stains on clothing. It’s actually a great option for getting rid of bad oil stains from concrete as well!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it entirely. Let this mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add some water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning process, so it may be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Elizabeth
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for 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 significant harm 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 on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Elizabeth Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without destroying it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Elizabeth Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company in Elizabeth can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.