10 Ways to Remove Oil Stains from a Concrete Driveway

Your car does it, lawnmowers do it, and visiting commercial vehicles do it a lot-leave oil stains on your concrete driveway, that is. This is not a difficult feat to accomplish and often shows up as a bit of an awful surprise. Oil stains are tough on the eyes and tough on the driveway, but there are things you can do to minimize or even eradicate the stain entirely.

Keep in mind that concrete and asphalt aren't the same. If you're looking for methods of removing oil stains from your asphalt driveway, be sure to visit my other article, 10 Ways to Remove Oil Stains from an Asphalt Driveway.

1. Kitty litter, dry concrete or sawdust. This is the most basic technique you can try and is the first step for all other techniques in removing oil stains from concrete driveways. Place the kitty litter-some suggest you grind the litter into the concrete-or sawdust and leave it to its own devices for a few days. You may want to consider covering the material with a tarp weighed down with a brick to assist the absorption. If the oil stain is new, this method may be all you need to use.

As an aside, keep a ready supply of kitty litter around just in case some oil gets onto the concrete. The sooner you soak it up, the better.

2. Liquid dish soap and water. After removing excess oil with paper towels, rags, or kitty litter, wet the surrounding concrete to prevent a secondary stain. Add soap and enough water to produce a lather and scrub the oil stain with a brush. As to the kind of brush: some sources say you should never use a wire brush as steel remnants can get into the concrete pores and cause rust stains or scratch the concrete surface. Others say it's perfectly fine to use. To be safe, use nylon. Be aware, also, that you may need to repeat this process a few times.

3. Bleach. A 1:4 water-bleach liquid sprayed onto the stain, left for several minutes and then brushed off may do the trick for your concrete driveway. Be careful, however, in its use. Wear gloves to protect your skin and avoid getting it on any clothes you do not want whitened.

4. Oven cleaner. After soaking up excess oil with rags, kitty litter, sawdust or paper towels, scrub the stain with soap and water, rinse, dry off and then spray and daub with oven cleaner.

5. Make a poultice. This is best used for small, stubborn concrete driveway oil stains. Mix kitty litter, powdered laundry detergent, baking soda with a strong solvent such as acetone, xylene, lacquer thinner, or MEK. Smear the paste over the stain, cover with plastic and let it sit for a while. Wipe or brush away when done.

A caveat: some sources advise strongly against using solvents on concrete driveways as they are extremely dangerous to use. The fumes from them can ignite and create havoc for you and your home. For this reason Tim Carter of askthebuilder.com suggests this method only after speaking with your local fire department.

6. Microbial cleaners. These cleaners are made up of single-celled microorganisms that feed on oil. As the enzymes and oxygen within these cleaners take care of the oil stain, more carbon dioxide and organisms are born, dying only when there is no more oil left. This method is used in beach oil spills and waterway cleanup. Chris Sullivan of Concrete Network suggests ESI and KT Microbial products for your concrete driveway.

7. Tri-Sodium Phosphate (TSP).Lowe's Home Improvement recommends using one cup of TSP in one gallon of water, pouring it on the driveway oil stain, and letting it sit for 10-15 minutes. Scrub the area with a stiff brush and then rinse away and repeat if needed. TSP is also available phosphate-free.

8. Concrete Brighteners. Michael Holigan of the TV show "Your New House" suggests the use of a concrete brightener for oil stain removal. Leave it on the spot for about 15 minutes, ensuring it stays damp, and then use an oil and grease cleaner. Michael recommends Griots. If the stain is stubborn, consider scrubbing the grease cleaner in with your brush. Don't be surprised if it takes a few tries to get it all out.

9. Muriatic Acid. While some suggest the use of and perhaps have had success with muriatic acid to remove oil stains from a concrete driveway, it is largely not recommended, nor is the use of any substance with acid in it, even when heavily diluted. These substances will eat away at the concrete paste at the surface-not to mention how dangerous they can be. Lowe's Home Improvement advises that "Since you will be removing the actual concrete, use muriatic acid only if you seal the driveway with masonry sealer afterwards. Remember that you will be altering the level of the surface if you remove a lot of material." And if you must try this tactic, take every precaution. Wear protective eye and skin gear and follow instructions carefully.

10. Pressure Washing. If you attempt this method, keep in mind that a jet that is too concentrated will harm and damage the concrete-so be careful.

Whatever method or methods you choose to try, consider this: If you come away with oil soaked rags or buckets of oil soaked kitty litter, saw dust, laundry detergent, please don't simply toss them in the trash. Take them to your local recycling center or hazardous waste center to dispose of them in an environmentally-friendly manner. If you don't know where this is, your local auto parts or hardware store will probably be able to help you.