How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the stains are fairly new. Try to avoid oil stains on your driveway and in your garage when possible, and attempt to remove those stains right away, before they set in.
If the stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Macon that can remove the most set-in stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the most typical ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are a lot of other things that can leave an ugly oil spot on concrete. So let’s explore 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 easy first step for fresh oil stains where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil, getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s recommended 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 of the driveway the next day and repeat as necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Then you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning techniques.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. But, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing soap (Blue Dawn is widely considered 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 product.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a while, somewhere from 20 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Next, add blue dishwashing liquid and some water and scrub until there is 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 the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to eliminate dirty stains on clothes. It’s actually a great option for removing bad oil stains on concrete as well!
Stir 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 more, then add some water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning method, so it might be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Macon
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for home remedies to remove. That’s when it may be time to call a professional pressure washing company to thoroughly clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause significant harm that is extremely complicated 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 that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Macon Pressure Washing is definitely the smart 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
Macon Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.