How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and age your home exterior, even if the stains are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway and in your garage when possible, and attempt to eliminate those stains fast, before they set in.
If the 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 Union City that is able to eliminate the most set-in stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the most common ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, there are countless other things that can cause an ugly oil spot on your concrete. So let’s consider some of the best DIY methods to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a easy first step for new oil stains where there is a lot of oil that has to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil stain, 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 will absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat if necessary.
Throw away used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Then you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning tips.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. That said, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties for oily stains, in part due to 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 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 eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to cover 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 some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing liquid 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 the Coke method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to get rid of bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great product for getting rid of bad oil stains from concrete as well!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the stain. You want to cover it entirely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, 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 Union City
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to thoroughly clean your home’s concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a a little money. You can cause major damage that is extremely complicated to fix if you don’t know what you’re doing. 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 Union City Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without destroying it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Union City Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.