How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are relatively new. Avoid oil spots on your driveway and in your garage when possible, and try to remove those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the house, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Athens that can remove even the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the cause for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the most common ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, of course, there are a lot of other things that can cause an ugly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s look at 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 fresh oil spots where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter over the oil stain, getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s best 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 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 proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete 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, be assured, that is not true. But, Coke does have strong cleaning properties when it comes to greasy stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mainly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coke on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (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 want to cover the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing detergent and water and scrub until you have created a thick paste. Again, let this sit for maximum penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like the Coke method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to clean off bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great option for removing tough oil stains on concrete too!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to 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 longer, then add water to create a paste, scrub and 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 Athens
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too difficult for DIY 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 significant damage that is extremely difficult 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 on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Athens Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without destroying it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Athens Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.