How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look bad, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are fairly new. Avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway, sidewalks and in your garage when possible, and try to get rid of those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before you purchased the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Bellevue that can get rid of the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the cause for oil-stained concrete. This could be oil, gasoline or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the typical ways your concrete gets stained are from:
- Fixing your own car
- Filling up the lawn mower
- A leak that needs to be checked out by a auto mechanic
But, there are many other things that can create an ugly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s review 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 easy first step for fresh oil spots where there is excess oil that has to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter over the oil, getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the oil stain overnight so it absorbs as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat if necessary.
Throw away used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning methods.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is a myth. That said, Coca-Cola 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 Coca-Cola on the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (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 a common home cleaning remedy product.
To get rid of an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to cover 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 some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add blue dishwashing detergent and water and scrub until you have created a thick paste. Again, let this sit for maximum penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.
Just like 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 remove tough 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 oil stain. You will want to cover it completely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add water to make a paste, scrub and then 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 good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Bellevue
Some oil stains on a driveway are too difficult for DIY home remedies to remove. 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 little money. You can cause major harm that is complicated 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 on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling PNW Bellevue Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. We know the best ways to clean concrete without damaging it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The best distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
PNW Bellevue Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective process. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.