How To Remove Driveway Oil Stains

Even the healthiest cars sometimes leak oil onto the driveway, and this can result in unsightly stains and marks. If you’ve noticed oil stains on your property, you are likely thinking of ways to remove oil stains from your driveway quickly and easily. If that’s the case, then you’re in luck. Here are some tips from Ren Wash for everything you need to know about removing oil stains from your driveway.

Things to consider before you start to remove oil stains

• Oil is flammable. Do not use any naked flames anywhere near the oil until it is cleaned and dry.
• Oil stains may indicate a problem with your car, it may be worth getting your vehicle checked out.
• Oil stains should be cleaned from the top of your driveway down
• You might need to cover surrounding plants and furniture (or, if possible, move them away from the oil stains) before you start cleaning oil stains

Equipment that you’ll need to tackle an oil stain

Tackling oil stains can be done in a few ways. Here’s the equipment you’ll need to remove oil stains from your driveway.

• A stiff scrub brush
• Cat litter
• Any of the following:
  • Dish soap
  • Powdered laundry detergent
  • WD-40 or Cheaper Alternatives
  • Baking soda

Removing oil stains using baking soda

Step one: tackling excess oil

The first thing to do when you’re trying to remove oil stains is to remove oil that is sitting on the surface. You can do this using cat litter. Simply sprinkle cat litter over the oil stains and let it sit to absorb the oil. Cat litter is a super absorbent material, so it shouldn’t take long.

Step two: use the scrub brush

Once the cat litter has absorbed the excess oil, you can rinse it away. Then sprinkle a layer of baking soda over the oil stains. Baking soda will mix with the water to create a paste which you can then work into the stain using the stiff nylon brush. You will need to scrub the baking soda quite hard, as removing oil stains is not easy.

For tough stains, you might need to use baking soda in addition to another substance. It often pairs well with dish soap, as the degreasing power of the dish soap works well with baking soda at breaking the oil down.

Once scrubbed in, you can rinse the baking soda away with a garden hose or bucket of clean water.

Removing oil stains using laundry detergent

If there is excess oil on the stains, you can use cat litter like mentioned above to remove oil stains. Cat litter should be washed away before you continue.

Step one: apply the laundry detergent to the oil stain

Sprinkle powdered laundry detergent onto the oil stain liberally. You want to cover the oil stain as best you can.

Step two: add water to create a paste

Powdered laundry detergent alone will not remove oil stains. You need to carefully apply warm water over the laundry detergent to create a paste.

Step three: use the scrub brush

Using your stiff nylon brush, scrub your new laundry detergent paste into the oil stain. You should do this for around two minutes per oil stain. Once done, let it sit on the oil stains for around 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, scrub the paste into the driveway oil stains for one additional minute to be sure you’ve removed them.

Step four: rinse

Using clean warm water, rinse the laundry detergent away.

Removing oil stains using WD-40

As mentioned above, if the stain is fresh, you can use cat litter on the oil spills to remove any fresh oil sitting on the surface. Simply sprinkle cat litter onto the oil spills and leave it for a moment, then wash it away before continuing.

Step one: apply WD-40

Spray some WD-40 onto your motor oil stains, making sure that the entire oil spill is covered.

Step two: use the scrub brush

Scrub the area with your stiff bristled brush until it is clean. WD-40 is fairly fast at treating oil stains so this should not take too long.

Step three: rinse

Using clean water, rinse the area carefully, away from any plants or vegetation.

Step four: apply baking soda

You can then add baking soda to the area where the stain was to soak up any leftover oil.

What to do next

Once you’ve removed the oil spill from your concrete driveway, you might want to seal the driveway. This prevents a future oil leak from staining your driveway as much.

You may also want to figure out whether it was gasoline, transmission fluid, or motor oil that leaked from your car, and get your car looked at to see if there was a reason for that oil to leak.

Transmission fluid is usually redder in color than other oils, and motor oil is generally considered easier to remove from a driveway. If you see gasoline on your concrete driveway, then you should get your car to a professional, as this is usually suggestive of a problem, and can be an expensive issue!

What else can you use to remove oil stains?

If you want to buy a commercial oil remover, you can do so. The highest-rated oil stain removers include:

• HG Oil and Grease absorber
• Resiblock Oil Remover
• Bond It Oil Stain Remover
• Terminator HSD Concrete Cleaner
• Inspired Oil Stain Remover
• Gunk Driveway Cleaner
• Everbuild Ready-to-Use Oil Remover

These products will remove oil stains, but be aware that many of them require you to use a pressure washer. Using a pressure washer can be dangerous and can damage your property. You should also note that while these products will remove oil stains they may also include harsh chemicals that will damage your front garden or could be toxic to pets.

FAQ:

Conclusion:

Removing driveway oil stains can seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can be effectively tackled. We have explored various methods, from using household items to specialized cleaners, and each technique has its merits.

It’s important to act quickly when you discover an oil stain on your driveway, as fresh stains are generally easier to remove. Absorbent materials like cat litter or baking soda can be used to soak up excess oil, while dish soap and hot water can be employed to break down the grease. For stubborn stains, commercial degreasers or specialized oil stain removers can provide the necessary power to lift the oil from the surface.