How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and ruin your home exterior, even if the spots are fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage if possible, and try to remove those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the 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 Lewisville that has the ability to remove even the most set-in stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the cause for stains on concrete. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination of 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 auto mechanic
But, of course, there are many other things that can create an unsightly oil spot on your concrete. So let’s look at some of the best DIY ways to remove those 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 needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil, getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s best to leave the litter on the stain overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off 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 Coke to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. However, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties for greasy stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good 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 needed.
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 want to coat the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere from 20 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing liquid and some water and scrub until there is a thick paste. Again, let this sit for maximum penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like with the Coke method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to clean off tough stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for removing bad oil stains on concrete too!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the stain. You will want to cover it completely. Let this mixture sit on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to create a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Lewisville
Some 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 home’s 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 difficult to repair 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 almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring XTeam Lewisville Pressure Washing is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without ruining it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
XTeam Lewisville 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 immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company in Lewisville can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.