We can all handle a little dirt on our driveways, but big black oil marks are unsightly and harder to ignore! I did some research, and fortunately, a few simple methods may help you. In this article, we will learn “How you can remove oil stains from your driveway – with household items”, “How you can remove oil stains from your driveway – with laundry detergent”, and “What you will need to do so”.
I will also add “Our process”, which you can use and try yourself with a home pressure washer. There will also be a “Short video of our process”, as I find visuals can be helpful. All sections will be headed in bold so you can read all… or skip to what you want!
An oil leak can be more than just a problem for your car… those splotches and drips reduce the beauty of features of your home. But don’t fear; there are a few things you can try…, and if all else fails, patio and driveway cleaning professionals would be happy to help.
Tips to know before you start:
- Oil is flammable, so get rid of any clothes or materials you use that come into contact with the oil.
- If your driveway has a slope, start at the top, so you don’t wash dirty oil down on what you have already cleaned.
- Be careful of landscapes and plants as some cleaners can do them damage.
- When I doubt… call professionals out.
What you will need first:
| Tools/Equipment Needed | Materials | |
| For use with household items | Heavy-duty scrub brush | Baking Soda
Cat litter Washing Up Liquid |
| For Laundry detergent | Stiff nylon brush | Powdered laundry detergent |
How you remove oil stains from your driveway – with household items
In this section, I shall show how baking soda, cat litter and washing up liquid can help to remove the oil from your driveway.
- First Step:
This step is where we remove as much excess oil as we can.
Cat litter comes in handy for this. You sprinkle the cat litter over the oil and leave for 30 minutes to absorb as much as it can.
- Second Step:
Time to start scrubbing.
Once you have used the cat litter to soak what it can up, we remove the cat a little and then scrub it with some baking powder.
- Third Step
You are now at the washing stage.
They have designed your everyday washing liquid to break down the grease on your plates, which will do the same on your driveway. Squirt some of your washing-up liquid on the oil and start scrubbing again. Rinse the area, and repeat the process if the stain is still there.
Remember that most driveways are hard-wearing, so don’t be afraid to use a little force when scrubbing.
How you remove oil stains from your driveway – with laundry detergent
You will need some powder detergent for this… if you don’t have but want to try it a cheap one will do!
- First Step:
Over the oil spill you can sprinkle some of the powder and carefully add some warm water to make a paste.
- Second Step:
Using the nylon brush this time, scrub the stain for a couple of minutes and then leave it to set for 15/20 minutes.
- Third Step:
After leaving it for 15/20 minutes, you can add a little more warm water and scrub for a further couple of minutes. Rinse away with some clean, warm water and repeat if it is needed.
Our Process to removing oil of your driveway:
Clean, Sand and Seal:
- We will pressure wash your patio first with our van-mounted machine with a pressure of 1000psi. (Your normal home ones run at around 350-400psi.) After they clear as much debris off as they can, they may now be able to see darker stains in certain areas. To get these marks off, they will use Sodium hypochlorite. The sodium hypochlorite breaks down any fungi and bacteria.
- Once the area is completely dry, they will refill it with kiln-dried sand. Kiln-dried is used as it needs to be fine sand to brush back into the paving joints.
- They will then seal all the joints. The sealing process is done to maintain the cleanliness of the patio. Once the first coat of sealant is dry, they may need to add another. The patio will again need to dry completely before using it to ensure the sealant has a chance to dry to work.
Clean, Point and Seal
- To clean, point and seal, they will clean the patio as above.
- This time instead of sand, they use a material called easy joint. The easy joint will be brushed into the joints, and then, with a pointing tool, they will push down the grout to give it a smoother finish.
- They then seal again… sealing is the same as the first process.
Remove oil of your driveway – Short video of our process:
Click below for the cost:
Want to know what people say about us and others:
Do you have a tarmac driveway that is worn and old? This will help you:
Written by Tracey Gilbey, Marketing and Admin Coordinator at Art of Clean.
For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901551 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning, and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry-Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge