How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the oil stains are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and try to remove those stains fast, before they really 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 Grand Prairie that is able to remove the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the reason for oil-stained concrete driveways. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the most typical ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, of course, there are many other things that can leave an ugly oil spot 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 new oil stains where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter 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 can absorb as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat as necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning methods.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. But, Coca-Cola does have strong cleaning properties for oily stains, partly because of 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 accepted as the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
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 coat the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a while, somewhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing soap 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 the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to eliminate bad stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for removing bad oil stains on concrete too!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it completely. Let this dry 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 a gentle cleaning process, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Grand Prairie
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult 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 yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause major damage 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 that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Grand Prairie Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without harming 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
- Products that can help lighten stains
Grand Prairie 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 quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.