How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still relatively new. Avoid oil spots on your home’s driveway and in your garage when possible, and attempt to remove those stains quickly, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Reno that is able to remove even the most set-in oil stains on concrete.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from automobiles is the reason for oil-stained concrete. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the typical ways 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 countless other things that can create an ugly oil stain on concrete. So let’s explore a few of the best DIY ways to remove those oil 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 dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter all over the oil, 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 overnight so it will absorb as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off the next day and repeat as necessary.
Throw away used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.
Then you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning tips.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. But, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties for greasy stains, partly because of 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 detergent (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a common home cleaning remedy product.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with the baking soda and let it sit for a while, somewhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add blue dishwashing liquid and some water and scrub until there is a thick paste. Again, let this sit for the best penetration, or continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like with the Coke method, you might have to repeat the process.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to wash off tough stains on clothing. It’s actually a great option for getting rid of bad oil stains on concrete too!
Stir 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 then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning process, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Reno
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for home remedies. 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 yourself 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 stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Reno 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 settings to use
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Reno 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 fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to happen again.