How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the spots are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage whenever possible, and try 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 home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Hillsboro that can remove the most set-in stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the common 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 create an unsightly oil spot on concrete. So let’s look at some of the best DIY methods to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a simple first step for fresh oil spots where there is a lot of oil that has to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter all over the oil stain, really getting it down into the stain by crushing 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. Scoop it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away 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 methods.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. However, Coke does have strong cleaning properties for greasy 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 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 another 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, somewhere from 20 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Then, add blue dishwashing soap and some water and scrub hard until there is a thick paste. Again, let this sit for the best penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like the Coke method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to clean off bad stains on clothing. It’s actually a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains on concrete as well!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the stain. You will want to cover it completely. Let this dry mixture sit 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 process, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Hillsboro
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to thoroughly clean your home’s concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a little money. You can cause major harm that is extremely difficult to repair 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 that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Hillsboro Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without harming it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Hillsboro Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.