How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and age your home exterior, even if the oil spots are relatively new. Avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage when possible, and try to remove those stains right away, before they 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 Raleigh that can remove even the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the reason for oil-stained concrete. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing 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 a lot of other things that can create an unsightly oil spot on concrete. So let’s look at some of the best DIY methods 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 a lot of oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil stain, getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s best to leave the litter on the oil stain overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the following day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning tips.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. However, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to 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 top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as 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 ingredient.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing detergent and water and scrub until there is a thick paste. Again, let this sit for optimal penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to get rid of dirty stains on clothes. It’s also a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains from concrete too!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it completely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning method, so it might be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Raleigh
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are 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 on your own to save a little money. 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 on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Raleigh Pressure Wash Plus is definitely the best choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without destroying it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Raleigh Pressure Wash Plus also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.