How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and age your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage when possible, and try to remove those stains right away, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Kirkland that can remove the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from vehicles is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the 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 mechanic
But, of course, there are a lot of other things that can cause an unsightly oil spot on your concrete. So let’s explore a few of the best DIY methods to remove those oil 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 excess oil that needs to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter all over the oil stain, really getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s a good idea to leave the litter on the oil stain for 24 hours so it absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off of the driveway the following day and repeat if necessary.
Throw away used litter so your pets and nearby wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning processes.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean the roads, but, be assured, that is not true. That said, Coca-Cola does have strong cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola on 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.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
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, somewhere from 30 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 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 with the Coca-Cola method, you might need to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to clean off tough stains on clothing. It’s actually a great product for removing bad oil stains on concrete as well!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on the size of the oil stain. You 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 rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it could be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Kirkland
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 thoroughly 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 harm that is extremely complicated to repair 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 just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Kirkland Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without harming it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Kirkland 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 enough patience to do it correctly. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company in Kirkland can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.