How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the stains are relatively new. Avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and attempt to remove those stains quickly, before they really set in.
If the stain has been there for a while, like from before you purchased the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in League City that is able to remove the most set-in stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles 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 common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, of course, there are many other things that can leave an unsightly oil stain on concrete. So let’s look at a few of the best DIY tips to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a simple first step for new oil stains where there is a lot of oil that has to be dried 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 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.
Then 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 up the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. That said, Coke does have strong cleaning properties for oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (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 another popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with the baking soda and let it sit for a while, anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add that famous 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 the Coke method, you might need to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to get rid of tough stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for getting rid of tough oil stains on concrete as well!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the stain. You will want to cover it completely. Let this dry 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 might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN League City
Some oil stains on a driveway are too tough for DIY home remedies to remove. 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 on your own to save a few dollars. You can cause significant damage that is extremely complicated to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Calling LTX League City Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without damaging it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
LTX League City Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it right. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.