How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and ruin your home exterior, even if the stains are still 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 set in.
If the stain has been there for a while, like from before you purchased the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Plano that can get rid of the most set-in stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the reason for stains on concrete. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the most typical ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, of course, there are countless other things that can cause an unsightly oil spot on your concrete. So let’s review some of the best DIY ways to remove those 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 has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil, getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the stain for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat if necessary.
Throw away used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Then you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning methods.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. But, Coca-Cola does have strong cleaning properties for greasy stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To get rid of an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb some 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 hard until there is a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for the best penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to remove dirty 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 based on the size of the stain. You want to cover it completely. 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 may be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Plano
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY home remedies. That’s when it may be time to call a professional pressure washing company to clean your home’s concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a a little money. You can cause significant damage that is extremely difficult to repair if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Plano Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without ruining it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Plano Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.