How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the spots are relatively new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage when possible, and try to eliminate those stains fast, 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 Rancho Cordova that is able to eliminate the most set-in stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the typical 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 mechanic
But, of course, there are a lot of other things that can cause an ugly oil stain on concrete. So let’s explore some 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 new oil spots where there is excess oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil, getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s best to leave the litter on the stain for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete 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, be assured, that is not true. However, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties for greasy 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 liquid (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a little bit, anywhere 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 concrete.
Then, add blue dishwashing detergent and some water and scrub hard until there is a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for maximum 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 dirty stains on clothing. It’s also a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains from concrete too!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the stain. You will want to cover it completely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it could be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Rancho Cordova
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for DIY home remedies. That’s when it may be time to call a professional pressure washing company to clean your home’s concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause major damage that is extremely difficult to repair if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks on a driveway that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Rancho Cordova Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without ruining it, including:
- 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
Rancho Cordova Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company in Rancho Cordova can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.