How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways

Oil stains on driveways look bad, and tarnish your home exterior, even if the oil spots are still fairly new. Try to avoid oil spots on your driveway, sidewalks and in your garage when possible, and attempt to eliminate 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 Anaheim that is able to eliminate 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 driveways. This could be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination. Some of the common ways your 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, of course, there are many other things that can leave an ugly oil spot on your 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 easy first step for fresh oil spots where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.

Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil stain, 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 following day and repeat as necessary.

Throw away used litter so your pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.

Then you can follow up with one of the following do-it-yourself concrete cleaning processes.

COCA-COLA FOR OIL STAINS

You might have heard urban legends about accident clean-up crews using Coke to clean up the roads, but, be assured, that is not true. However, Coke does have strong cleaning properties for greasy stains, in part due to 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 detergent (Blue Dawn is widely accepted as the most effective). Scrub hard with a stiff brush, using circular motions throughout.

Rinse and repeat if needed.

BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS

Baking soda is a popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.

To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to cover the stain with baking soda and let it sit for a while, anywhere from 15 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb a lot of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.

Next, add blue dishwashing soap and 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 the Coke method, you might need to repeat the process.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS

Most homeowners already use this to eliminate dirty stains on clothes. It’s also a great product for getting rid of bad oil stains from concrete as well!

Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts based on 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 make a paste, scrub and then rinse.

This is a gentle cleaning method, so it may be necessary to repeat the process one or two times. But there is a good chance it will work!

DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Anaheim

Some concrete oil stains on a driveway are too difficult for 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 little money. You can cause major damage that is extremely complicated 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 on a driveway that look almost as bad as the oil stains.

Hiring Anaheim Pressure Washing is definitely the best choice. Our technicians know the best ways to clean concrete without destroying it, such as:

• The right PSI and GPM levels to use
• Which nozzle will penetrate concrete without chipping it
• The correct distance to spray the concrete from
• Products that can help lighten stains

Anaheim 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 correctly. They want quick results.

A professional pressure washing company can also offer protective sealing services for your driveway so oil stains are less likely to occur.