How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and ruin your home exterior, even if the oil stains are still fairly new. Avoid oil stains on your driveway and in your garage if possible, and try to remove those stains quickly, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Chino that can remove the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the cause for stains on concrete. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination. Some of the most common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, of course, there are several other things that can leave an unsightly oil spot on concrete. So let’s review 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 stains where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil stain, really 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 for 24 hours so it can absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat as 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 concrete 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, be assured, that is a myth. 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 liquid (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to cover the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere 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.
Then, add blue dishwashing soap and some water and scrub until you have created a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for maximum penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like with the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to wash off dirty stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for getting rid of bad oil stains from concrete as well!
Stir powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the oil stain. You will want to cover it entirely. Let this dry mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add some water to create a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it could be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Chino
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too tough for home remedies. That’s when it may be time to call a professional pressure washing company to clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a a little money. You can cause major harm that is extremely complicated to repair if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Chino Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without harming it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Chino Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.