How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look bad, and ruin your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage whenever possible, and try to eliminate those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Denton that is able to eliminate even the most set-in oil stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the cause for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the most typical ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are several other things that can create an unsightly oil stain on concrete. So let’s explore a few 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 spots where there is excess oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil stain, 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 can absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next 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, be assured, that is not true. However, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties for oily stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
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 need to coat the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, somewhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing soap and water and scrub hard until you have created 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 have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to eliminate bad stains on clothes. It’s also a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains on concrete too!
Mix 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 stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add water to create a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is 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 Denton
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for home remedies. That’s when it is 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 few dollars. You can cause major damage that is complicated to fix if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Denton Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without destroying it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Denton Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.