Has a vehicle with a leaky oil pan left a dark oil stain on your concrete driveway? It’s a good idea to remove these stains sooner rather than later so that they don’t have an opportunity to soak into the concrete. Oil and grease stains will also need to be cleaned before the driveway is resealed.
Start With Cat Litter
If the stain is relatively small, you can start by applying a generous amount of cat litter to the affected area. Cat litter is an absorbent poultice that effectively sucks oil and grease out of concrete. Let the cat litter sit on the oil stain for about 30 minutes, and then use a heavy tool like a tamper to scrub the litter into the stain. Once you’re done, you can sweep up the remaining cat litter and discard it.
Use a Degreaser
If there’s still evidence of a stain after using the cat litter method, you can use a concrete degreaser to loosen the oil and make it easier to remove. Just dilute the degreaser according to the directions on the bottle, and use a scrub brush and some elbow grease to scour the stain away.
Try a Microbial Cleaner
For particularly stubborn stains, consider using a microbial cleaner instead. These products contain enzymes that digest the oil and convert it into harmless byproducts. The enzymes will continue to consume the oil until it’s gone, at which point they will die off leaving your driveway clean and spot-free. This is the same method that’s used to clean beaches and waterways following oil spills.