How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the spots are still relatively new. Avoid oil spots on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and try to eliminate those stains fast, before they really set in.
If the stain has been there for a while, like from before you purchased the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Lexington that can eliminate even the most set-in stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the most common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are a lot of other things that can cause an unsightly oil spot on concrete. So let’s consider a few of the best DIY tips to remove those 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 a lot of oil that needs to be dried 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 best to leave the litter on the stain for 24 hours so it will absorb 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 pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning techniques.
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 a myth. However, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coca-Cola on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (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 product.
To eliminate 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 while, somewhere from 30 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add blue dishwashing soap and 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 with the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to get rid of bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great option for removing tough oil stains from concrete as well!
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 more, then add water to create a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning process, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Lexington
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to 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 difficult to repair if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Lexington Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without destroying it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Lexington Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.