Hi
My mate’s car left some oil stains on my new concrete driveway. I’ve tried all of the options I could find on the net and the stains are still there. Anything else I can try?
I’ve tried:
- Pepsi
- hot water with dish washer liquid
- baking soda
- clr oil remover from Bunnings
- concrete and hard stone cleaner from Bunnings
You mean the first thing that should have been tried? Like even a can of that $2 crap* from Supercheap?
*may not be $2 anymore
Nah nah pepsi first
Maybe he also loaded up on the last 12 bottle amazon special
Crystal Pepsi might work
<Ahem>
Sugar soap (KOH) is strongly alkaline unlike substances such as sulphuric acid [H2SO4] with a pH of 0.5 or lemon juice pH 2.''
It contains no acids. Concrete itself is somewhat alkaline and wouldn't be affected much by the same substance one uses to wash down a painted wall before repainting….
@terrys: Got Schooled today! Thanks for correcting my mistake and sorry for misinformation.
What I'm trying to say is acid or alkaline will not work very well. Tried all of them on oil stained concrete. Go solvent based degreaser.
ph >7 is alkaline NOT acid….
love the confidence here
However if you look at the active ingredients Potassium Hydroxide. That's an acid with a pH13-14….
That would be an alkali, not an acid.
Oven cleaner, the original not the safe stuff … mmm … Dichloromethane
Original stuff usually contains caustic soda - sodium hydroxide - so is a strong alkali, just like CLR (which contains potassium hydroxide, a slightly weaker alkali).
Get a professional cleaner and have your friend pay for it.
Just buy a can of degreaser and go nuts on the area, then use a stiff brush to massage the spray into the spill. You may have to repeat a few times, then rinse with water.
Sandpaper.
david warner might have some spare
You need to lift the oil out of the concrete first. It does not just sit on the surface. It seeps in through the tiny voids between the aggregate, sand and cement.
Then use a degreaser and a pressure washer.
Then you still may need to "bleach" the stain to blend it out.
But unless you sealed the new driveway, you will probably always have a stain.
Can of Degreaser and an absorbent material to draw it out of the concrete. Repeat as many time as necessary until stain has been removed.
I wouldn't recommend pressure washing as you will end up with a noticeable clean spot that looks different from the rest.
Apparently kitty litter is good for lifting out the oil.
Peat moss is also very good, needs to be dry though.
You want something with a fine consistency to make as much contact as possible with the surface.
@kaleidoscope: He's waiting for the perfect comment.
Usually he's a 10+ post a day man but he's been quiet for the past few days picking the perfect comments.
Can of degreaser then cheap cat litter. Soak the stain in degreaser. Put cat litter on top and leave for several hours. Preferably in the sun. Repeat as needed.
elbow grease
my new concrete driveway
Did you seal it at all? Otherwise this will keep happening.
Just paint over it and get an EV. Problem solved.
EV motors don't have oils, but other parts of the drive train still have oil and fluids.
The only drips I get is water.
That's the way it should be, but doesn't mean that a EV can't leak oil. An EV still needs oil for their transmission.
ICE cars shouldn't leak oil either, but they do when faulty.
@JimB: If the transmission in an EV is leaking fluid then something has gone catastrophically wrong. It's nothing like oil or even standard transmission fluid in an ICE car, in most it's sealed in and quite difficult to replace (like the Model 3).
It'd be more likely to leak brake fluid. Which also isn't great.
https://www.kia.com/mu/discover-kia/ask/do-electric-cars-nee…
From what I’ve gathered from Googling they have other fluids but not oil. Can you, please, provide a link?
https://www.audistratham.com/do-electric-cars-use-oil.htm
Transmission fluid is a thin oil.
Kia does advertise transmission fluid as it’s not a service item. Without the transmission oil, your EV wouldn’t travel very far.
@JimB: https://shieldoils.com/what-is-the-difference-between-transm…
They are different. However, leaking Transmission fluid could, probably, stain as well.
Buying a mate a new car seems a little excessive money bags.
Both can get one, problem solved!
Degreaser and pressure washer. Easy. but problem with that is you may need to do the whole driveway with the pressure washer as the part you clean for the oil will look super new lol
Pepsi
Basic rookie error.
You are meant to use Coke.
Coke with Sugar. ;)
Nectar of the gods
Can I get a Pepsi?
Sorry sir we only have Coke
Walks out
Angle grinder will get the job done.
just pour oil on to the rest of the driveway
I used HCL once. Cement turned Brown. :(
Creatine HCL?
@Tomcruise Any experience using it ?
No. Other Agar products work as intended. Oil on Driveways though, even pressure washing doesn't remove it, if it has soaked in.
Ring AGAR and speak to the Tech (i do often) explain the situstion and seek a gurantee.
I’ve heard of a similar product by agar, and you mix it up to make a paste, put over area and covered in plastic then leave it overnight.
Also join some FB pressure cleaning groups to ask for assistance.
Pour petrol on it, leave for a bit then rub off with a rage. May have to do a couple of times.
with a rage.
Get angry first?
match
OP could think of friend with oil leaking car that would be enough to get really angry
Buy a copy of The Australian to read while doing it to help build your rage.
rub off with a rage
Instructions unclear. TV is all scratched now.
atleast you're not stuck somewhere…
Can confirm this method works when relationship status has been single for an extended period of time.
Try some Windex…or Fizzy Bubblech next
Stain your whole concrete driveway black.
Or stain it with oil
Pressure Washer, a good one with a focused nozzle; only issue is it will clean the oil stain and everything else so it will make those spots look like they were when the concrete was first layed (More or less) so if you're OCD like me you will want to do the whole driveway so it matches, which isn't a bad thing and is a nice weekend task.
I prefer pressure washers instead.
If you have tried all those things prior to degreaser it is probably too late for the easy fix. but degreaser followed by stuff to draw the oil out of the cement, pressure washing won't help much as oil soaks in, but it can at least get rid of some of the surface oil.
Dulux Avista concrete sealer works well. Have it professionally done so the driveway is prepared properly and it lasts really well. A tenant had to get a driveway of mine done years back and it still looks like new.
Just put oil everywhere and then pressure wash the whole driveway. It won't clean it, but the finish will look uniform…
Did you try turning the driveway over so the stain is on the under side??
Sell the house and move on dude. Sometimes you just need to give in and move on.
Also, get new friends :p
put petrol, wait for 30 seconds, then clean it with pressure cleaner(water). This worked for me.
This tip is from Shannon Lush.
Mix plaster of Paris and water until it’s a similar consistency to peanut butter. For every cup of mixture you make add one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Paint no more than half an inch of mixture over the stain. Leave it to dry and then sweep the mixture (and your stain) away.
Zeolite will do the trick; you'll want the "kitty litter" chunky style.
Get a 10kg bag as the stuff is cheap, really useful and quite reusable.
How to:
Wear a dust mask.
Wet the stained area with a penetrating solvent (petrol is good).
Pour a 2cm thick raft of zeolite over the stained area.
Sweep it up after about an hour and stand material aside.
If stain is still apparent repeat the process using the original material.
Repeat as necessary but 2 or 3 tries will usually do it.
You'll need to pressure wash the entire concrete slab as the treated area will be lighter coloured than the rest.
Keep the zeolite for future use; it absorbs heaps and is not saturated until black.
Spread it out in a sunny sheltered spot to recycle or just bury it and let microbial action do the job (can be dug up and recovered).
If recycling is not your thing, just bag it and bin it as zeolite is non leaching and can go to landfills.
(Technically, it assumes the toxicity characteristics of the absorbed material so if used for poisons should be disposed of as per those materials requirements).
Zeolite is fkn brilliant at so many things!!!!
Where can I buy zeolite? Never heard of it before?
Environmental suppliers as a floor sweep.
Garden centres as a soil additive (Zeolite absorbs both water and nutrients for slow release).
Pet shops as a deodorizing kitty litter (Zeolite absorbs chemicals via ionic bonding).
You want the chunky particle style; a lot of uses involve finely ground material.
It looks like the old fashioned kitty litter which is Bentonite clay which is used for sealing hazardous chemical dumps whereas Zeolite is a porous volcanic rock which has an internal ionic charge, hence it's high absorbency and chemical bonding ability.
I've seen it used as a replacement for sand pool filter medium and fume extraction in spray booths etc.
Depends on where you are but Google is your friend here (Shopping results).
It's very useful stuff but make sure you wear a mask, as with any crushed rock, the dust can be an irritant .
Thanks!
Ask for a professional cleaner to come and clean it, ask for receipt and give it to your friend if you do not want him to be your friend anymore.
Otherwise, noone really cares about stains on the driveway.
Pressure washing your driveway? Sure, if you want to blast off the top layer…
Nuke it from orbit. Only way to be sure.
Degreaser might do it but then you’ll need to find more products that remove the following:
- Pepsi
- hot water with dish washer liquid
- baking soda
- clr oil remover from Bunnings
- concrete and hard stone cleaner from Bunnings
De-Solv-It liquid multi cleaner (citric based) pour it on and leave it a while. Garden hose it off at full pressure at point blank.
Usually a degreaser or petrol and scrub and clean up.
Otherwise laundry powder, hose the area off, apply a bunch and apply the smallest amount of water so it be scrubbed in but still stay concentrated and not wash away.
Get a brush, broom, whatever something fairly harsh and then scrub until its gone. Hose off.
Don't do that if its a painted driveway for obvious reasons.
Don't bother, the next one will be the delivery driver and there is no way you can chase after them
If you've already tried the usual methods for removing oil stains from concrete, such as using a commercial cleaner, power washing, or using baking soda and vinegar, there are a few other things you can try:
Use a poultice: Mix a paste of baking soda and water to create a thick consistency. Spread the paste over the stain and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for several hours or overnight, then rinse with water.
Try a degreaser: You can try using a degreaser specifically designed for removing oil stains from concrete. Follow the instructions carefully, as some products require you to apply the solution and let it sit for a period of time before rinsing.
Use a pressure washer: A high-pressure washer can help remove oil stains from concrete. If you don't have one, you can rent one from a hardware store. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions and wear protective gear, such as eye and ear protection.
Call a professional: If none of the above methods work, you may need to call in a professional to remove the stains. A professional cleaner will have access to more powerful cleaning solutions and equipment that can remove even the toughest stains.
Remember to act quickly when you notice an oil stain on your concrete driveway, as the longer the stain sits, the harder it will be to remove.
-cgp
Goof off a mate used on his and got it off but his concrete had been sealed and he cleaned it off within the day. The longer its been there harder to get off.
I think OP is busy trying every method you guys suggested.
Chemtech CT14 Engine and Bilge Degreaser
have you tried degreaser? lol