Oil stains are messy, they look terrible, and they can cause problems. Whether you are worried about slipping on the slick or dragging oil into your home, the sooner you remove oil stains, the better.
At RenWash, we aim to help you banish oil stains from your premises, and whether you have a fresh oil stain or legacy stains you want removed, we have everything you need to enjoy an oil-free driveway!
Oil stains can ruin the aesthetic appearance of your drive, but there are more significant issues to consider with this form of mess. An obvious problem is the slip or trip hazard caused by the slicker surface.
Remove these stains from your drive as quickly as possible to minimise the risk of your loved ones and guests falling. It also reduces the likelihood of tough driveway materials being ruined by grease stains or excess oil.
There is also a chance oil slicks lead to permanent discolouration of your driveway. Oil can seep into the concrete or tarmac surface, altering the top layer's colour as it passes through. Over time, this diminishes the look of your property, which can lead to a drop in value.
If oil stains lie on a drive for long enough, they can cause permanent staining, so it is best to act fast in removing oil spills and leaks.
Yes. A fresh spill is much easier to remove altogether than a long-term stain. The overall processes are similar, but an older stain will require more effort or harsher cleaning products to remove from your drive. If the stain remains after repeated attempts to clear your drive, you might need expert help with professional cleaning equipment.
If the oil spill is recent and still wet, try to wipe away and scoop up as much as possible. You should also remove any dirt, debris or fallen leaves from the area by brushing them away. This method is suitable for a garage floor and concrete surfaces, all of which suffer from rust stains and oil spillages.
Once you’ve removed the oil and are dealing with a fresh stain, absorb as much of the excess oil as possible. You can do this by covering the stain with a layer of clay cat litter or baking soda.
Many people laugh at the idea of baking soda or cat litter (or even kitty litter) being effective in removing excess oil and stains from concrete, but they have ultra absorbent properties. If you sprinkle cat litter or baking soda on crude oil, you'll be surprised at how quickly you can remove the remaining oil.
Let it sit for at least an hour to allow the absorbent material to soak up as much oil as possible.
Sweep or shovel the absorbent material and dispose of it in a plastic bag.
Pour a degreaser or a mixture of dish soap and hot water over the stain. Scrub the area with a scrub brush to loosen the oil.
Rinse the area with hot water to remove the degreaser or soap.
If the stain is still visible, mix a solution of 1 part water and 1 part bleach. Pour the solution over the stain and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Scrub the area with a stiff nylon brush to loosen the stain, then rinse the area with hot water.
If the stain is still visible, mix a paste of baking soda and water. Spread the paste over the stain and sit for about an hour.
Scrub the paste into the stain using a scrub brush, then rinse the area with hot water.
If the stain persists, repeat the last steps until you are satisfied, and then allow the driveway to drive.
There are many examples of commercial cleaners available which clean oil stains, non-cleaning products effectively removing oil leaks. WD-40 is known to remove grease, and it can also remove oil from your drive.
A less-expected solution which works wonders in the short term is Coca-Cola. The specifically formulated acidity of the Coca-Cola, when left overnight on the stain, dissolves the stain, so if you have a few cans spare, you have a stain remover for a concrete surface.
There are even stories of people using oven cleaner and a heavy duty brush to get results when tackling oil stains. These methods require a lot of elbow grease and warm water but some household products are helpful in dissolving dirt and cleaning oil stains.
If you've no time to visit hardware stores but need to remove an oil stain from your driveway, baking soda, dish soap and even laundry detergent are useful in treating oil stains or an oil leak.
As a professional cleaning company, RenWash is happy to advise and offer our cleaning services for any homeowner or business dealing with oil spillages. Our trained staff are comfortable using a range of specialist cleaning products, equipment and techniques.
If you want to remove an oil stain with a minimum of fuss and effort, we are the garage floor and concrete cleaners for you. You can also check out our article on how to stop moss growing between block paving.
Jet washing is a highly effective way to remove oil stains, with its combination of high-temperature water and pressurised force removing many stains and spills from the most commonly used driveway surfaces, including asphalt, concrete, block paving, gravel, and even resin-bound surfaces.
You can consider a power washer service or pressure washer to remove oil from a drive, but in most cases, the jet wash cleaning system is easier on your drive, while still removing the stain. A jet wash clean operates at a lower pressure level than a power wash or pressure washer, so in relative terms, it is a more practical option if you are concerned about damaging your driveway.
Yes, the Doff cleaning system can remove oil marks and stubborn stains from your driveway. This is a gentler concrete cleaner, utilising high temperatures, often at 150 degrees at the nozzle end, and a lower pressure level than you expect from pressure washers and power washing.
The TORC cleaning system is even gentler than the Doff cleaning system, albeit it is still potent. There is little water or air pressure associated with this cleaning system; it uses a mixture of fine granules and air, creating a swirling vortex capable of removing tough stains.
If you are dealing with old oil stains on a concrete driveway that the standard cleaning processes won’t remove, it is worth trying the TORC system on your premises.
The mixture of low-pressure and chemical detergents is highly effective on many stains and surfaces, but this solution shouldn’t be a first choice when removing oil spills or slicks. Check out our post about chemicals for cleaning driveways.
At RenWash, we offer jet wash, pressure wash, Doff, TORC and softwash cleaning services, and we are highly skilled and experienced in removing oil stains from drives, paths, car parks and many more areas. We are happy to attend your premises, review the matter, and advise you on how best to remove oil stains from a driveway. We also offer driveway cleaning as a service.
No matter whether you are dealing with fresh oil stains or something that has bothered you for a long time, RenWash can help. We know old oil stains are hard to dislodge, but our track record means you can trust us to remove oil stains and leave your driveway looking fantastic.
