Remove Oil Stains From a Driveway
Driveway surfaces range from brick paver driveways to concrete driveways to interlocking paver driveways to asphalt driveways. Whatever the finished surface of a driveway is, a driveway is subjected to a lot of use, abuse and of course stains. One of the most common driveway stains is an oil stain or several oil stains. Oil stains are mostly the result of small drips from a car or spill accidents when changing the oil in a vehicle or even from a lawn mower. An oil stain on a lighter colored driveway such as a concrete driveway or a paver driveway really shows against the light surface and ruins the look of the driveway. Oil stains on asphalt driveways don't stand out as much as other surfaces, but can still cause a dangerous slip and fall hazard. Whatever the type of driveway surface you have, you can clean the oil stains and restore the driveway to its original beauty.
Apply a thick layer of cat litter or and over the top of the oil stain. Allow the cat litter or sand to sit for 6 to 8 hours to absorb the excess oil.
Sweep up the cat litter or sand and discard. Be sure to check your local ordinances and dispose of oil tainted sand or cat litter accordingly. Some cities and towns have specific drop off points for oil and oil contaminated substances to protect the environment.
Soak the oil stain or stains with mineral spirits, not to be confused with mineral oil. Mineral spirits is available at hardware stores and home improvement stores.
Allow the mineral spirits to soak into the driveway oil stain for a few minutes.
Apply another layer of sand or cat litter. Allow it to stand for an hour or two. Sweep up the sand or cat litter and discard.
Apply a commercial grade auto degreaser which are available in powder or liquid form from and auto supply store. Use a stiff bristled scrub brush and scrub the oil stained area. Rinse well and reapply if necessary. Most oil stains will require more than one treatment especially if they are older.
To prevent oil stains on driveways, lay a protective mat on the driveway under any car with a suspected oil leak. When changing the oil in your car, always protect your driveway from oil and grease with either a protective mat or a large sheet of cardboard. It is much easier to prevent an oil stain than it is to clean one.
Yes
No
Flag
Comments
I use a homemade recipe, but it's a little different. I'm sure what you have listed will work just as good, if not better than store cleaners.
You must be logged in and verified to post a comment. Please log in or sign up to comment.