How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the spots are relatively new. Avoid oil spots on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and try to remove those stains fast, before they 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 Corona that can remove even the most set-in stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the cause for oil-stained concrete driveways. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination of 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 needs to be checked out by a mechanic
But, of course, there are a lot of other things that can create an ugly oil stain on concrete. So let’s look at a few 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 fresh oil spots where there is excess oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle the cat litter all 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 overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off of the driveway the following day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Next you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning techniques.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have 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 when it comes to oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coke 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 throughout.
Rinse and repeat if you have to.
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 cover the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a while, anywhere from 15 minutes to two or three 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 water and scrub hard 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 Coke method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to get rid of dirty stains on clothing. It’s actually a great option for removing tough oil stains from concrete too!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the stain. You want to cover it entirely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add water to make a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it could be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Corona
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 clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a a little money. You can cause major 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 on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Queens Pressure Wash Plus is definitely the smart choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without damaging it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Queens Pressure Wash Plus also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it right. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.