How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the stains are still fairly new. Avoid oil stains on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage when possible, and attempt to remove those stains right away, before they set in.
If the stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Rialto that has the ability to remove even the most set-in stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from vehicles is the reason for oil-stained concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination of fluids. Some of the common 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 auto mechanic
But, there are several other things that can leave an ugly oil stain on concrete. So let’s consider a few of the best DIY ways to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a easy first step for fresh oil stains where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil, getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s a good idea to leave the litter on the stain overnight so it can absorb 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 nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Next you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning methods.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean up the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. But, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke on 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 you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a common home cleaning remedy product.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to cover the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere from 15 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing soap and water and scrub hard 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 Coke method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to clean off dirty stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for getting rid of tough oil stains on concrete too!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the stain. You will want to cover it entirely. Let this mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add water to create a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it may be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Rialto
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for 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 a little money. You can cause significant harm that is complicated to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks on a driveway that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Rialto Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without destroying it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Rialto Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company in Rialto can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.