Best Ways to Remove Oil Stains on Driveways
We all love our cars, but not the oil stains they leave behind on the driveways. Instead of looking for a creative way to cover up those oil stains, use one of these easy methods to remove it and restore the beauty of your driveway in no time. These are the best ways to remove any oil stains left on that driveway.
Cars are notorious for leaving behind those dark, brown oil stains on the drive way from time to time. These stains can cause embarrassment and ruin that curb appeal to a home, so finding ways to remove it completely can restore the beauty your driveway deserves. One of these ways to remove oil stains is sure to get rid of the most stubborn strains, though the fresher the oil stain, the easier it is to remove.
This first way to remove oil stains works on any age of stain. Dish-washing detergent, the liquid kind, works great on lifting up the oil from all kinds of driveways. The best way to use this way to clean those stains is to smear some liquid dish-washing detergent over the oil stain, and scrub it in with a hard scrub brush. Start with no more then 1/4 of a cup of liquid detergent and use the hard scrub brush to scrub the soap into the oil stain in a small circular motion. Allow the soap to soak into the oil stain for a few minutes, then scrub the area again. Rinse the area to remove all the liquid dish-washing detergent from the driveway. Depending on how fresh the oil stain is, it should be removed with one to three treatments. For an oil stain that has been sitting on the driveway for a while, it may require more then three treatments. As long as you have patience, and a little elbow grease, the stain will be removed with this method.
Another way to remove oil stains if the oil stain is very fresh and still wet, is to take clay-based kitty litter and cover the area with it. Don't use the pearls, or clumping formula since this wont work. Cover the area and let sit for 24 hours. Once the time has passed, sweep the kitty litter away and most of the oil should have been absorbed with the kitty litter. Any slight discoloration left behind can be quickly cleaned up by taking a few drops of liquid dish washing soap like Dawn and scrubbing it into the stain. Scrub for just a minute and then rinse with water. There should not be very much oil left behind after the kitty litter, so only a few drops of liquid soap will be needed. If you are not careful and use too much soap, you will have a bubble mess on the driveway. At the first signs of an oil leak, lay the kitty litter down to prevent the oil from penetrating the driveway and causing a stain.
The best way to remove oil stains that are old and have been sitting for a long time is to use muratic acid. Pour just enough muratic acid on the area to just cover the oil stain. Use a brush to work the acid into the oil stain. Let it set for 10 minutes to allow it to work into the stain. If the driveway happens to be slanted, something needs to be placed around the stain so the muratic acid does not just pour down the driveway. The muratic acid needs to set over the stain to work into the concrete and bleach out the coloring the oil has left behind. Try a barrier of sand, or bricks in order to keep it in place. Once the time has passed, rinse the driveway with water till the acid is removed completely. There is no need to wash down the driveway as long as its rinsed really well. This method will work on a variety of stains left on a concrete driveway.