How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways

oil stain on driveway

Oil stains on driveways look bad, and ruin your home exterior, even if the oil stains are fairly new. Try to avoid oil stains on your driveway and in your garage whenever 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 you purchased the house, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Durham that can eliminate even the most set-in oil stains on concrete.

Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?

Mainly, oil from vehicles is the reason for oil-stained concrete. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the typical ways 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, of course, there are countless other things that can leave an unsightly oil stain on concrete. So let’s review some of the best DIY tips to remove those oil stains!

DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips

CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS

Cat litter is a simple first step for fresh oil stains where there is a lot of oil that has to be cleaned up.

Sprinkle the cat litter over the oil stain, really getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s a good idea to leave the litter on the oil stain overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off the next day and repeat if necessary.

Throw away used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.

Then you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning processes.

COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS

You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. That said, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties for oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.

Pour a good amount of Coke on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (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 a popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.

To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to cover the stain with the baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere from 30 minutes to two or three 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 water and scrub 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 pattern, then rinse.

Just like with the Coke method, you might have 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 also a great option for removing tough oil stains on concrete too!

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 longer, then add water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.

This is more of a gentle cleaning method, so it may be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a possibility it will work!

DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Durham

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 few dollars. You can cause major damage that is extremely difficult to repair if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.

Hiring Durham Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without ruining it, including:

  • The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
  • Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
  • The best distance to spray the concrete from
  • Solutions that can help lighten stains

Durham Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps 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 driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.

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