How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the stains are still fairly new. Try to avoid oil stains on your home’s driveway and in your garage if possible, and attempt to eliminate those stains right away, before they set in.
If the stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Cambridge that can eliminate the most set-in stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the cause for stains on concrete. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the most typical ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, there are many other things that can leave an unsightly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s review some of the best DIY ways to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a simple first step for new oil stains where there is a lot of oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil stain, getting it down into the stain by stomping on it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the stain overnight 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.
Throw away used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Then you can follow up 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 Coke to clean the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. That said, Coke does have strong cleaning properties for greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly from 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 throughout.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a little bit, somewhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add that famous blue dishwashing liquid and 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 with 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 eliminate bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great option for getting rid of bad oil stains from concrete too!
Stir powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the stain. You will want to cover it entirely. Let this dry mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is more of a gentle cleaning process, so it could be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Cambridge
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too difficult for 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 yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause major damage that is difficult 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 on a driveway that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Cambridge Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best methods 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 correct distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Cambridge Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.