How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the oil stains are fairly new. Avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway and in your garage whenever possible, and try to get rid of those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Tempe that is able to get rid of the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas 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 lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, of course, there are several other things that can leave an unsightly oil stain on concrete. So let’s consider some of the best DIY tips 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 needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter all over the oil, 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 absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off 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 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 Coke to clean the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. But, Coke does have strong cleaning properties for oily 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 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 a common home cleaning remedy product.
To get rid of an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to cover the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, somewhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing soap and water and scrub hard until there is a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for the best penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like the Coke method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to eliminate bad stains on clothing. It’s actually a great option for removing 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 will want to cover it completely. Let this dry mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add water to create a paste, scrub and 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 possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Tempe
Some oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY 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 on your own to save a few dollars. You can cause significant damage that is extremely complicated to repair 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.
Hiring Tempe Power Washing is definitely the smart choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without destroying it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Tempe Power Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.