Concrete is the most common driveway material in America. The issue is that concrete is an extremely porous material. When your car leaks engine oil, transmission fluid, gasoline or any type of residual fluid, the concrete can turn very ugly, very quick.
Pressure washing is one of the best tools to improve curb appeal but it also serves as an extremely effective tool to remove oil stains. Unfortunately, pressure alone won’t remove the stain. You need the right chemicals to break down the oil and the proper technique to remove the stains as fast & efficiently as possible.
There are plenty of fluids that could possibly stain the concrete. Remember, concrete is extremely porous and will soak up almost anything. Due to the nature of concrete, it is typical to see oil on the driveway from the cars & trucks being parked on it. It is important to know what type of oil is stuck in your driveway so you know the best technique to remove it.
If you begin seeing gasoline stains on the driveway from your car, we advise that you get your car to the repair shop right away. Take care of your other equipment and ensure that machines like lawn mowers or other gas powered vehicles aren’t leaking onto your concrete either. Gasoline is flammable & damaging to the environment.
For reference, transmission fluid is almost always red. It isn’t uncommon for older cars and trucks to leak transmission fluid but it is still something to consider when taking your car to the repair shop. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to differentiate transmission fluid from engine oil. However, the removal process is mostly the same so it doesn’t matter all that much. Just know, the longer transmission fluid sits on the concrete - the harder it becomes to remove.
By far the most common leak among cars and trucks, you’ll see plenty of stains of engine oil on your concrete if you’ve owned your home for long enough. You can remove engine oil from concrete relatively easily but just like transmission fluid, the longer it sits - the harder it is to remove.
The good news about removing oil stains from concrete is that the problem is so common, the solution is very abundant. There are hundreds of degreasers and oil stain cleaners, many of which have different levels of strength. No oil stain is impossible to conquer with the right chemical.
A general rule of thumb to understand is that oil stains that are still wet should be picked up with absorbents such as cat litter or dirt. If the oil stain has dried, it requires more steps and chemicals to remove. If you notice an oil stain early on, take care of it immediately instead of waiting and making your life harder.
Due to the nature of cat litter’s absorbent properties, it works wonders with picking up fresh oil stains that are yet to fully dry. When you notice the stain early on, we recommend you try removing the oil stain with cat litter first before trying other methods.
The short answer is yes! The process of removing oil stains from concrete with baking soda is similar to cat litter or any other absorbent. It’s important to note that the best results happen when the oil stain is still wet.
You also need to understand that baking soda is only a small part of the process of removing oil stains from concrete and driveways. You also need a good degreaser, bristle brushes, and it is recommended to have a pressure washer. Luckily, many of the required tools should be lying around your home.
If you don’t have cat litter then baking soda is going to be your next best solution for removing wet oil stains from concrete. Similar to cat litter, baking soda is a powerful absorbent that will help lift any moisture from the stain, making the process of removal significantly easier.
If you’re somebody who works on cars or utilizes WD-40 often, you may have plenty of WD-40 stains on your concrete. It’s a common stain but luckily the problem is common enough that solutions and techniques exist to remove it. You can remove WD-40 from your concrete with the following steps:
Yes, WD-40 can remove oil stains from concrete due to its heavy duty degreasing properties. It is important to note that you need to work and act fast upon applying WD-40 to the concrete. If you allow the WD-40 to sit on the concrete without washing it off, it will eventually stain the concrete.
In addition to fixing squeaky door hinges and rusted bolts, WD-40 can also be used to remove oil stains from concrete. Follow these steps to remove oil stains from concrete with WD-40:
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