How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and try to eliminate those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Garland that has the ability to eliminate the most set-in oil stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the common ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are many other things that can leave an ugly oil spot on your concrete. So let’s review a few of the best DIY ways to remove those oil stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a simple first step for new oil spots where there is a lot of oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil stain, getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the oil stain overnight so it will absorb as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off of the driveway the following day and repeat if necessary.
Throw away used litter so your pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning techniques.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. However, Coca-Cola does have strong cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from 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 with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy product.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a little bit, anywhere from 20 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Next, add blue dishwashing soap and some water and scrub until there is 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 need to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to eliminate tough stains on clothing. It’s also a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains from concrete as well!
Stir powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You will want to cover it completely. Let this dry mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add some 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 possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Garland
Some oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY home remedies to remove. 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 on your own to save a little money. You can cause major harm that is 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 create streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Garland Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without harming it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Garland Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company in Garland can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.