How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
Oil stains on driveways look awful, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil stains are still fairly new. Avoid oil stains on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage if possible, and try to eliminate those stains right away, before they set in.
If the oil stain has been there for a long time, like from before you purchased the house, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Burbank that can eliminate the most set-in oil stains on concrete surfaces.
Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?
Mainly, oil from cars is the cause for stains on concrete driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the common ways concrete gets stained are from:
- Servicing your own car
- Filling up the gas in a lawn mower
- A leak that should be checked out by a mechanic
But, there are many other things that can leave an unsightly oil spot on concrete. So let’s review some 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 fresh oil stains where there is excess oil that needs to be cleaned up.
Sprinkle cat litter over the oil, getting it down into the stain by stomping on 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 of the driveway the following day and repeat as necessary.
Get rid of used litter so pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick.
Next you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning techniques.
COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS
You’ve probably heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coca-Cola to clean up the roads, but, be assured, that is a myth. However, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties for greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly from the phosphoric acid in the soda.
Pour a generous amount of Coca-Cola 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 throughout.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS
Baking soda is a common home cleaning remedy ingredient.
To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first want to coat the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, somewhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.
Next, add that famous blue dishwashing soap and some water and scrub hard until you have created a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for the best penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular motion, then rinse.
Just like with the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process one or two times.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS
Most homeowners already use this to wash off tough stains on clothing. It’s actually a great product for removing tough oil stains on concrete too!
Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the oil stain. You want to cover it completely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or more, then add some water to make 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 possibility it will work!
DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Burbank
Some oil stains on a driveway are just too difficult for DIY home remedies to remove. That’s when it is time to call a professional pressure washing company to thoroughly clean your concrete surfaces.
We don’t recommend pressure washing your driveway yourself to save a few dollars. You can cause significant harm that is difficult to fix if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.
Calling Burbank Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. Our technicians know the best methods to clean concrete without ruining it, including:
- The right PSI and GPM levels to use to remove stains
- Which nozzle tip will penetrate concrete without damaging it
- The optimal distance to spray the concrete from
- Solutions that can help lighten stains
Burbank Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective method. Most homeowners don’t have enough patience to do it right. They want fast results.
A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.