How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still fairly new. Avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage if possible, and try to remove those stains fast, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the house, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Roanoke that can remove the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from vehicles is the cause for oil-stained concrete. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination. Some of the common ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing 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 several other things that can create 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 fresh oil spots where there is excess oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil stain, really getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the oil stain for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the following day and repeat if necessary.
Throw away used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next 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 Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. But, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coca-Cola on top of 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.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another common home cleaning remedy product.
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, somewhere from 15 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add blue dishwashing detergent and some water and scrub until you have created a thick paste. Again, let this sit for the best penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular motion, 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 wash off bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great product 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 entirely. Let this dry mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add some water to create 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 possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Roanoke
Some oil stains on a driveway are too difficult for DIY home remedies. 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 few dollars. You can cause major damage that is extremely difficult to fix 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.
Calling Roanoke Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians 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 optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Roanoke Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.