How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look bad, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are relatively new. Avoid oil spots on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and try to remove those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Newton that can remove the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from vehicles is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination. Some of the most common ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a 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 your concrete. So let’s review a few 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 new oil spots where there is excess oil that has to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter 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 of the driveway the following day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Then you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning tips.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. However, Coke does have strong cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke 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.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a common 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 while, anywhere 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.
Next, add blue dishwashing detergent 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 with the Coke method, you might need to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to eliminate bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great product for getting rid of tough oil stains from concrete as well!
Stir 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 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 method, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Newton
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to thoroughly clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a little money. You can cause major harm that is extremely complicated to fix 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 on a driveway that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Newton Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without destroying it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Newton Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company in Newton can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.