Menu
It can be hard to clean oil spots from asphalt driveways when you don’t know what you’re doing. While removing oil stains using at-home methods is possible, you can achieve better results and minimize the risk of spreading the stain when you hire a professional.
When you spill oil on asphalt, your first instinct might be to leave it alone. After all, it’s only a stain and will eventually come out on its own. However, when left unaddressed, oil spots don’t go away independently and can create more problems.
For one thing, oil stains can cause long-term damage to your asphalt surface or driveway. These stains can make it asphalt softer, making it more vulnerable to damage. Oil spots can also cause premature deterioration. Pretty soon, you will find cracks and holds in your asphalt driveway.
Furthermore, oil spots can be very slippery. Thus, they can cause accidents. When someone slips and falls on an oil spot, they might hurt themselves or others. Drivers can even lose control of their vehicles when driving over an oil slick. What you will then have to deal with is a potential lawsuit.
Here’s how to get rid of oil stains on asphalt driveway using household products.
If you want to clean oil spots from asphalt using kitty litter, you have to act fast. Kitty litter can absorb the excess oil on the asphalt surface. As such, they’re best suited for fresh spills. Remember that the results won’t be as quick or neat. You might need to wait a few hours and, even then, encounter a stain left behind.
Baking soda has a lot of household cleaning uses, including mopping up oil spots from asphalt surfaces. Its abrasive nature can help remove stains, but its mild composition allows it to clean without damaging the material. Simply mix it with water to form a paste. Then, as with kitty litter, apply the baking soda on the oil stain to absorb the excess grease. For better results, use a brush to scrub out the rest.
Powdered detergent can be very effective in removing oil spots from your driveway. All you need to do is sprinkle it over the stain, then add warm water until it forms a paste. Using a brush, scrub the paste all over the spot. Let it rest for a few minutes before scrubbing and rinsing away with water.
An oven cleaner can do the trick if you want to clean oil spots from asphalt. Just spray the over cleaner over the oil stains and leave it for about 10 minutes or so. After that, you can scrub it out and rinse it off.
You might not believe it, but soda can also clean oil spots. This is best used in tandem with kitty litter. After applying the kitty litter, pour room-temperature soda over the stain. This will help get rid of the residue. For more stubborn stains, use a brush and start scrubbing.
If you have it at home, you can use WD-40 to remove oil stains from your asphalt driveway. Simply spray the substance over the stain and let it set for 20 minutes or so. Then, using a clean towel, wipe away the excess.
The above methods are great for when you’re in a pinch, but professional services are always the better option. Household products might help you fade the oil stain. However, they might not get rid of the spot left behind. This is especially true if you don’t act fast immediately after a spill.
Professionals simply have more effective ways to clean oil spots. If you’re worried about cost, you will be happy to know that the prices are quite reasonable, too.
Here’s how professionals remove oil stains from asphalt.
A commercial-grade degreaser is a good start if you want to know how to professionally get oil stains off of asphalt. Professionals use degreasers or oil cleaners to remove spots and stains. They typically have access to these cleaners and know how to use them well. These cleaners and degreasers are designed to remove stubborn oil stains you can’t get out with the usual household products.
Pressure washing is another great option for cleaning an oil spot on an asphalt driveway. Many pressure washing companies offer oil or grease removal. They use the force of the water to remove excess oil before applying a detergent to clean the area. After that, they rinse everything away. Power washing is the preferred method since it uses warm water, which is best for oil stain removal.
The final option is to ask a professional to conduct oil spot repair. This is the best course of action if you have a lot of oil spots on your driveway or if the oil spot is quite old. Even oil spots you allow to sit for more than three days will be tough to remove using conventional methods.
With oil spot repair, professionals heat the oil spot before removing a few inches off of the top layer of the asphalt driveway. From there, they fill the space with a fresh layer of asphalt. This gives the driveway a seamless finish and makes it look brand new.
Hiring a professional offers more benefits than DIY if you want to clean oil off the asphalt driveway. Professionals have more experience and expertise. They also have better equipment and cleaning products. Plus, they can do the job in far less time than you would yourself.
When you attempt to DIY it, there are several risks. You risk worsening the problem through incorrect application, poor timing, and wrong techniques. You might spread the oil stain even further or push the oil to penetrate the asphalt even deeper. Ultimately, you must shell out more money for repairs or replacements.
It is not easy to clean oil spots from asphalt driveways. However, the best way to do it is to hire professional services. With professionals, all you need to do is sit back, relax, and watch the experts at work.
Pothole Repair Carolinas offers oil spot repair services around North and South Carolina. Call us today at 704-227-0468 or contact us online for more information!
RELATED ARTICLES: