How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the spots are fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your driveway and in your garage when possible, and try to remove those stains right away, before they really set in.
If the stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Boca Raton that can remove even the most set-in stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the reason for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination of fluids. Some of the common 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 mechanic
But, of course, there are many other things that can leave an ugly oil stain on your concrete. So let’s consider some of the best DIY tips to remove those stains!
DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips
CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS
Cat litter is a easy first step for new oil spots where there is excess oil that has to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil, really 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 absorbs as much as possible. Scrape it up or sweep it off the following day and repeat if necessary.
Get rid of 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 techniques.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean up the roads, but, rest assured, that is not true. But, Coke does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to greasy stains, partly because of its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coke on 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 necessary.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To remove an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to cover 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.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing detergent and some water and scrub hard until you have created a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for optimal penetration, or you can 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 clean off bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great product for removing bad oil stains from concrete as well!
Combine 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 sit on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add some water to create a paste, scrub and then rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it might be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Boca Raton
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are just too tough for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway on your own to save a few dollars. You can cause major damage that is extremely difficult to fix if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks that look just as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring Boca Raton Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without ruining it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Boca Raton Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it correctly. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company in Boca Raton can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.