How to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways

Oil stains on driveways look awful, and ruin your home exterior, even if the stains are fairly new. Try to avoid oil stains on your driveway and in your garage whenever possible, and try to eliminate those stains fast, before they really set in.

If the stain has been there for a while, like from before purchasing the home, you may need the help of a local driveway cleaning service in Jacksonville that is able to eliminate the most set-in stains on concrete surfaces.

Where Do Concrete Oil Stains Come From?

Mainly, oil from vehicles is the cause for stains on concrete. This might be oil, gas or transmission fluids – or a combination of engine fluids. Some of the most 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, of course, there are countless other things that can cause an unsightly oil spot on concrete. So let’s consider some of the best DIY ways to remove those stains!

DIY Oil Stain Removal Tips

CAT LITTER FOR OIL STAINS

Cat litter is a easy first step for fresh oil stains where there is excess oil that needs to be dried up.

Sprinkle cat litter all over the oil, really getting it down into the stain by crushing it with your feet. It’s best to leave the litter on the 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 pets and wildlife don’t eat it and get sick from it.

Then you can proceed with one of the following do-it-yourself cleaning tips.

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. That said, Coca-Cola does have powerful cleaning properties when it comes to greasy stains, in part due to its carbonated bubbles, but mostly because of the phosphoric acid in the soda.

Pour a good amount of Coca-Cola on top of 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 needed.

BAKING SODA FOR OIL STAINS

Baking soda is another popular home cleaning remedy ingredient.

To eliminate an oil stain on a driveway, you’ll first need to coat the stain with baking soda and then let it sit for a little bit, anywhere from 20 minutes to two or three hours. This should absorb most of the oil and allow the baking soda to penetrate the porous concrete.

Next, add that famous blue dishwashing soap and water and scrub hard until there is a thick paste. Again, you can let this sit for the best penetration, or you can continue to scrub in a circular pattern, then rinse.

Just like with the Coca-Cola method, you might have to repeat the process.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT FOR OIL STAINS

Many homeowners already use this to remove bad stains on clothes. It’s actually a great option for getting rid of tough oil stains on concrete too!

Mix powdered laundry detergent and borax in equal parts according to the size of the stain. You want to cover it completely. Let this mixture stay on the oil stain for an hour or longer, then add water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.

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

DRIVEWAY CLEANING IN Jacksonville

Some oil stains on a driveway are too difficult for DIY home remedies. That’s when it may be 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 repair if you don’t know what you’re doing. The high pressure water stream can break and loosen concrete, and it can create streaks that look almost as bad as the oil stains.

Hiring DBC Jacksonville Pressure Washing is definitely the smart choice. We know the best methods to clean concrete without damaging it, such as:

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

DBC Jacksonville Pressure Washing also follows all of the steps it takes to clean the concrete little by little – the most effective process. Most homeowners and other companies don’t have the 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 happen again.