Looking For Ways To Remove Oil Stains From Your Concrete Driveway?

Do you do a lot of projects in your driveway? Is it covered in oil droplets and stains from working on your car or other maintenance instances? Does your driveway look something like the picture to the left?

Stains and accidents come hand-in-hand with life, so naturally your driveway isn’t at its peak condition anymore. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to let it stay that way. We’re here to tell you how to remove oil stains from your driveway!

Oil, and other stains, don’t have to be permanent parts of your driveway anymore!

Option One:

If the oil stain is fairly fresh, then you’re in luck! This could possibly be an easy clean up for the most part. First, dump cat litter on the spill. Let is sit on the oil spill for at least an hour before sweeping it up with a broom.

Then, you’ll want to have baking soda or dish-washing soap available. Lightly wet the area, pour either baking soda or soap and let it sit while you boil a pot of water. Once boiling, you’ll rinse the area of the baking soda or soap. Use a stiff-bristled brush or broom to coax the oil stain out of the concrete. Rinse it thoroughly and repeat if necessary.

Option Two:

Now, if this is a stain that has been there awhile, know now that elbow-grease and Dawn dish soap will not be the answer to your problems. This takes a little more time, but, surprisingly, not that much more effort. The trick with set-in stains is to draw them up from the concrete. This means you get to create science-like project!

You’ll need to mix trisodium phosphate (TSP) or some TSP-substitute (all of which can be found at Lowes, Home Depot, or other hardware stores) with water and an absorbent material, like baby powder or diatomaceous earth, to create a smooth paste.  Kitty litter can also be used, but it won’t create a smooth paste unless you’re willing to grind it into a powder instead of leave it clumpy.

And always be sure to have protective eye-ware and gloves on when creating the mixture!

  • 1 oz. TSP 
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup absorbent material 

Next, you’ll spread the paste on the stain, about 1/2 an inch thick, and allow it to dry for 24 hours. You’ll know it’s done pulling the stain out once it’s completely dry. This is when you can scrape it off and sweep it away. You’ll either repeat this process if the stain is still there or you’ll grab a nylon brush and your garden hose and rinse the area of any reside from the paste.

And finally you can start enjoying your clean driveway or patio– stain free!