How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look terrible, and ruin your home exterior, even if the oil stains are still relatively new. Try to avoid oil stains on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and try to eliminate those stains right away, before they really set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a while, like from before you purchased the home, you might need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Pomona that can eliminate even the most set-in oil stains.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mostly, oil from automobiles is the cause for stains on concrete driveways. This might be oil, gasoline or transmission fluids – or a combination. 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 a lot of other things that can create an unsightly 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 simple first step for fresh oil stains where there is a lot of oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil, really getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s recommended to leave the litter on the oil stain for 24 hours so it can absorb as much as possible. Scoop it up or sweep it off of the driveway the following day and repeat as necessary.
Get rid of used litter so your 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 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, be assured, that is a myth. That said, Coke does have strong cleaning properties when it comes to oily stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coke on top of the oil stain, then cover it with dishwashing liquid (Blue Dawn is widely considered 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 a popular home cleaning remedy product.
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 while, somewhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous surface.
Then, add blue dishwashing detergent and some 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 get rid of bad stains on clothing. It’s actually a great product for getting rid of tough oil stains on concrete as well!
Stir powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the oil stain. You 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 rinse.
This is a gentle cleaning method, so it may be necessary to repeat the process two or three times. But there is a good chance it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Pomona
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 yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause major harm that is extremely difficult to repair if you don’t know how to properly pressure wash concrete. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can leave streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Pomona Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without destroying it, such as:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without chipping it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Products that can help lighten stains
Pomona Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete– the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have the patience to do it right. They want quick results.
A professional pressure washing company in Pomona can also provide protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely in the future.