How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil stains are relatively new. Try to avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and try to get rid of those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Gilbert that has the ability to get rid of the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the cause for oil-stained concrete. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the typical ways your 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 auto mechanic
But, there are countless other things that can create an unsightly oil spot on your 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 stains where there is a lot of oil that has to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil stain, 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 for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off the next day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away used litter so your 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 might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. However, Coca-Cola does have powerful 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 Coca-Cola on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To get rid of an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to cover the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add blue dishwashing detergent and 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 the Coca-Cola method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to remove bad stains on clothes. It’s also a great option for getting rid of 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 entirely. Let this dry mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it might be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Gilbert
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for home remedies to remove. That’s when it may be 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 a little money. You can cause significant harm that is extremely 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 that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Gilbert Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without ruining it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Gilbert Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company in Gilbert can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.