How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look bad, and ruin your home exterior, even if the spots are relatively new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage if possible, and try to remove those stains right away, before they really 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 Glendale that is able to remove even the most set-in stains on concrete.
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 fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the most common ways your 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 auto mechanic
But, there are several other things that can create an ugly oil spot on your 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 spots where there is excess oil that needs to be cleaned 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 will absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the next day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of used litter so your pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Next you can proceed 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, be assured, that is a myth. But, 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 good amount of Coke on top of 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 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 need to coat the stain with the baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, 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.
Then, add blue dishwashing liquid and water and scrub hard until you have created a thick paste. Again, let this sit for optimal penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like with the Coke method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to wash off dirty stains on clothes. It’s actually a great option for removing tough oil stains from concrete as well!
Stir 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 water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning process, so it could be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Glendale
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is 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 a little money. You can cause significant harm that is extremely complicated to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Glendale Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without harming 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
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Glendale Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the patience to do it correctly. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.