How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and ruin your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage whenever possible, and attempt to remove those stains quickly, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Riverside that can remove even the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination. Some of the most common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, there are a lot of other things that can create an ugly oil spot on 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 excess oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle the cat litter all over the oil, really getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s best to leave the litter on the oil stain overnight so it can 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 pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Then you can follow up 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 the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. That said, Coca-Cola does have strong cleaning properties when it comes to greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coca-Cola on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (Blue Dawn is widely considered the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, somewhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add blue dishwashing liquid and some water and scrub hard until you have created a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for the best penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like with the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to wash off dirty stains on clothing. It’s actually a great product for removing tough oil stains from concrete as well!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You will want to cover it entirely. Let this mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it could be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Riverside
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too difficult for DIY home remedies. That’s when it may be 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 little money. You can cause major harm that is extremely difficult 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 Riverside Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without harming it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Riverside Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.