How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and ruin your home exterior, even if the oil spots are relatively new. Try to avoid oil spots on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and attempt to eliminate 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 Conroe that has the ability to eliminate even the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the typical ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are countless other things that can cause an unsightly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s look at some of the best DIY methods 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 the cat litter all over the oil stain, really getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the oil stain for 24 hours so it can absorb as much as possible. Scrape 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 from it.
Then you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning processes.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. However, Coca-Cola does have strong cleaning properties for greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coca-Cola on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy product.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a while, somewhere from 15 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add blue dishwashing detergent and some water and scrub until there is a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for optimal penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like with the Coca-Cola method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to wash off bad stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for getting rid of bad oil stains from concrete as well!
Stir 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 more, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it may be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Conroe
Some oil stains on a driveway are too tough 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 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 leave streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling ACC Conroe Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without harming it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
ACC Conroe Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.