An oil stain will likely be one of the easiest stains to identify on your driveway, sidewalk, or garage floor as it will leave a very dark brown or black colored stain and can range in size from a few small drops to a very large stain. There are many different methods that can be used to lighten and remove oil stains from your driveway, sidewalk, and garage floor, and many of them include everyday household items you probably already have in your house.
- The first method used to remove oil stains using the most readily available household item is dish soap. Dawn dish washing liquid soap is one of the most common soaps used to remove oil stains. Soap uses the emulsification process to both combine with the oil and then lift it away from the surface. Use a combination of the dish soap and water and scrub it into the oil stain thoroughly, then simply rinse it away with water.
- Another very common household item used to remove oil stains is powdered laundry detergent. When using this method most people cover the entire oil stain with the powder laundry detergent and then lightly cover the powder laundry detergent with water. You then should use either a brush or a broom to agitate the paste and scrub it into the stain before rinsing the paste away.
- Another method used to remove oil stains with a common household item involves wetting the dry stain with water and then scrubbing it with a stiff brush and a combination paste made from water and baking soda. Once you have thoroughly scrubbed the oil stain with the paste, rinse the stain area with a hose on normal pressure and let it air dry.
- One of the oldest tricks used to remove oil stains involves using Coca-Cola on the stain. This method typically works best on smaller sized stains. You can use any type of cola product and pour it directly over the oil stain and then let it soak in overnight (or for at least 8 hours). After you have allowed the cola to soak into the oil stain simply rinse it away.
- If none of the other methods are working for you in removing an oil stain from your driveway, sidewalk, or garage floor it is probably time to invest in a heaver engine degreaser to remove the oil stain. Engine degreasers are heavier and more toxic to the environment, so other methods should be attempted first. However, this stuff is specifically designed to clean oil and grime off engines, so naturally it is very effective on driveways, sidewalks, and garage floors as well. Pour the engine degreaser over the oil stain and the scrub it in with a wire brush. Once you have thoroughly scrubbed the oil stain, simply rinse it away. Instead of simply rinsing the oil and engine degreaser away you can also cover the area with kitty litter, sweep it up, and discard the debris. This method works best when you have older, dried-in oil stains that need to be cleaned and removed.
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