How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil stains are relatively new. Avoid oil stains on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage when possible, and try to remove those stains fast, before they 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 Forest Hills that is able to remove the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the reason for oil-stained concrete. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the typical 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 mechanic
But, there are many other things that can cause an unsightly oil spot on your concrete. So let’s consider 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 easy first step for new oil stains where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil stain, getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the oil stain overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away used litter so your pets and nearby 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’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. However, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coca-Cola on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing detergent 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 pattern, then rinse.
Just like the Coca-Cola 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 also a great product for removing bad oil stains from concrete too!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You will want to cover it entirely. Let this dry mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to create a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning method, so it might be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Forest Hills
Some oil stains on a driveway are 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 concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a little money. You can cause significant damage that is difficult 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 just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Forest Hills 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 will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Forest Hills Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company in Forest Hills can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.