How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and age your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil spots on your driveway and in your garage when possible, and attempt to remove those stains quickly, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Metairie that can remove even the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from vehicles is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the most common ways your 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, there are a lot of other things that can create an ugly oil spot on your concrete. So let’s consider 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 easy first step for new oil spots where there is a lot of oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil stain, 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 for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off the next day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning processes.
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, be assured, that is not true. That said, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties for oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with baking soda and 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 you have created a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for the best penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to remove bad stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for removing bad oil stains on 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 completely. Let this dry mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it may be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Metairie
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY home remedies. 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 harm 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 create streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Metairie Pressure Wash Masters is definitely the best choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without harming it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings 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
Metairie Pressure Wash Masters also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.