How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look bad, and age your home exterior, even if the stains are fairly new. Try to avoid oil stains on your driveway and in your garage if possible, and try to eliminate those stains quickly, before they really set in.
If the stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Rockville that is able to eliminate the most set-in stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the reason for oil-stained concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the most typical ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are several other things that can create an ugly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s look at 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 new oil stains where there is a lot of 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 best to leave the litter on the stain overnight so it can absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat as necessary.
Get rid of used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Then you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning tips.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably 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 powerful cleaning properties for greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coke on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another common home cleaning remedy product.
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 little bit, somewhere from 20 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing soap and some water and scrub until there is 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 need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to get rid of bad stains on clothing. It’s actually a great option for removing bad oil stains from concrete too!
Stir 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 more, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, 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 Rockville
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for 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 few dollars. You can cause major damage that is extremely complicated to fix if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Rockville Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without damaging it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Rockville Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company in Rockville can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.