How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and age your home exterior, even if the oil spots are fairly new. Avoid oil spots on your driveway and in your garage whenever possible, and attempt to eliminate those stains right away, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before purchasing the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Kansas City that is able to eliminate even the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from cars is the cause for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluid – or a combination. Some of the most common ways 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, there are countless other things that can create an ugly oil stain on concrete. So let’s consider 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 a lot of oil that has to be dried up.
Sprinkle the cat litter 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 can 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.
Next you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning tips.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean up the roads, but, be assured, that is not true. But, Coke does have strong cleaning properties for greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mainly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a good amount of Coke on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing detergent (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is another common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To eliminate 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, anywhere from 15 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb some of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing detergent 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.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Many homeowners already use this to remove tough stains on clothing. It’s also a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains from concrete as well!
Combine powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it completely. 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 may be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Kansas City
Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for DIY home remedies. 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 little money. You can cause major harm that is extremely difficult to fix if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Hiring KC Pressure Wash Co. is definitely the safe choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without destroying it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM settings to use
- Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
KC Pressure Wash Co. also follows all of the steps to clean the concrete– the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want immediate results.
A professional pressure washing company in Kansas City can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.