How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and age your home exterior, even if the oil stains are fairly new. Try to avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage when possible, and try to get rid of those stains quickly, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the house, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Thornton that can get rid of even the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the 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, of course, there are many other things that can leave an ugly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s explore a few of the best DIY ways 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 a lot of oil that has 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 for 24 hours so it can absorb 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 nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Then you can follow up 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 up the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. That said, Coke does have strong cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of 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 hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy product.
To get rid of an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with the baking soda and let it sit for a little bit, anywhere from 20 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add blue dishwashing detergent and some water and scrub hard until there is a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for maximum penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like with the Coke method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to eliminate tough stains on clothes. It’s also a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains from concrete too!
Stir 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 mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some 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 good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Thornton
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is 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 little money. 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 just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Thornton Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without harming it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Thornton 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 Thornton can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.