Five Ways to Remove Oil Stains From Driveways

Five Ways to Remove Oil Stains From Driveways

Monday, 03 April 2023 12:19

No one wants to look at their beautiful home and see a bunch of oil stains marring their driveway. These eye sores take away from the curb appeal of your home and leave your yard looking less fresh and organized. 

These nasty stains are left by oil, gas, transmission fluids, and other substances that ruin your concrete driveway or garage floor, and that may seem nearly impossible to remove. However, there are some solutions to save your concrete. 

Getting rid of oil stains on concrete can be a challenge. After all, concrete is porous, retains dirt, and is a tough surface to clean. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box. This blog article presents five tried and true ways to remove unsightly oil stains from your concrete driveway. 

Get ready to say goodbye to those gross oil stains and hello to a driveway you can be proud of. 

Five Ways to Remove Oil Stains from Driveways

1. Use an Inexpensive Brand of Cat Litter

Cat litter is usually made up of highly absorbent clay and is surprisingly effective as an oil stain remover. But not all cat litter is the same. The more expensive brands tend to be made with perfumes and are prone to clumping up when they come in contact with moisture. Your best bet is to go with one of the less expensive brands.  

To clean oil off the driveway, simply pour the cat litter on the stain and let it sit for around a half-hour. (If the oil stain covers a large area, let it sit overnight.) Next, use your broom to sweep up the litter. Then, use a bristle brush and detergent to scrub it clean, rinsing with water when you’re done. If that doesn’t do the trick, repeat the process. 

If you do not have cat litter, you can substitute cornstarch or cornmeal as your absorbent. Talcum and baby powder are also effective; no matter which one you choose, they are all proven oil stain cleaners!

2. Oven Cleaner

Oven cleaner can be a very effective treatment for oil stains on concrete. Simply spray the target area with oven cleaner and let it settle for ten minutes. Use a hard bristle brush to scrub it clean and rinse with a hose. Repeat the process until the stain is removed. 

3. Sawdust and Paint Thinner

If you are seeking tips on how to get rid of oil stains on the driveway, you can’t do much better than this. Sawdust is an excellent remedy because, like cat litter, it’s an absorbent that can mop up oil. Paint thinners then act as solvents that dilute oil-past paints. 

Mix them together, and you have just hacked an effective way to remove oil from your driveway.  After mixing them, spread the sawdust over the oil stain for about half an hour. Use your broom to sweep away the sawdust. If the stain remains, repeat the steps until it is gone. 

4. Baking Soda

If you are researching how to get rid of oil stains on your driveway, baking soda has to be on your list.  

Similar to the way you use an oven cleaner, you can apply baking soda to an oil stain, wait 20 or 30 minutes for it to be absorbed, and then use your hose to rinse the area. If that doesn’t work, pour more baking soda on the oil stain and, after a half-hour, use a wet, hard brush to scrub the area, and then spray it clean with water.  

If the baking soda doesn’t solve your problem, open up your cupboard and grab some vinegar.  Pour the vinegar on the oil and let it rest for a few minutes. Follow the same instructions that you used for the baking soda. 

5. Liquid Detergent

Another common household item that can be used to remove oil stains is liquid detergent. Beyond simply cleaning clothes, heavy-duty liquid detergent has been proven to be an effective cleaning agent for oil stains on concrete. 

If this seems like the solution for you, the steps are simple. Begin by pouring a generous amount of liquid detergent onto the affected areas, then add water, and finish by scrubbing aggressively with a hard brush. After this process, rinse away the soap and water with your hose and take a look at your sparkling driveway! This method is so quick and easy that even the kids can help out!

Oil Stains Were Yesterday’s Problem

Knowing these tips and tricks, you are ready to tackle stubborn oil stains. Whether you opt for baking soda or you have to use oven cleaner, we are sure everyone has at least one of these home remedies lying around. 

The best part about these tips is how easy they are to follow. Soon, oil stains will be a problem of the past, and you will have the prettiest driveway in the neighborhood. That being said, some outdoor cleaning problems may take a little more elbow grease to solve.

Luckily, the team at Hydro Clean has been keeping home exteriors in North Carolina clean for years. Our trained technicians work with high-quality equipment to help provide any home with a lifted facelift. If your driveway is suffering from more than just oil stains, we provide full-service driveway cleaning, which you can learn more about here.

Do not be afraid to call in the professionals at Hydro Clean for help cleaning oil stains in your driveway, and always do your research before starting DIY projects.