OLD Motor Oil Stains on Concrete Driveway

[Kevin Herber]

I have some old motor oil stains on my concrete driveway. They are a few years old and so have gone through a few Texan summers. They are thoroughly baked on. Any ideas how to remove them? The oil is synthetic if that makes any difference.

Thanks -- Kevin

[Don Baer]

I use Meriodic (sp?) Acid. It the same stuff used to balance the ph in swimming pools.You can buy it at the borg. Works great, just don't get it on yourself. pour a little on scrub it with a brush and hose it off.

[Mark Rios]

Well, If I were to try doing it to my place I would thoroughly soak it with brake cleaner 5 or 6 times or more. Being very, very careful of course about any kids, pets and the like in the area. I'd doo it when it was the coolest time of the day to minimize the volotiles flashing off before getting a chance to disolve the oil. Then maybe a few more soakings. After that, I'd get my pressure washer with some concrete cleaner and give it a good jet wash, starting with the widest tip and gradually trying smaller tips until it did the job that I wanted it to. If you start with too small a tip you could end up actually etching grooves in your driveway.

BTW, If you are successful in cleaning any of the spots by whatever method you choose, bear in mind that you now will have a regular colored driveway with some very clean spots. So, unless you paln to attempt to clean the whole drive in some sort of even way, you may just want to leave the spots alone.

Just two cents worth.

[Dan Stuewe]

I use Meriodic (sp?) Acid. It the same stuff used to balance the ph in swimming pools.You can buy it at the borg. Works great, just don't get it on yourself. pour a little on scrub it with a brush and hose it off.

I think the correct spelling is "Muriatic" acid.

[Don Baer]

I think the correct spelling is "Muriatic" acid.

There you go. Thanks

[Steve Clardy]

Grab a bag of portland cement and a 2x4 block.
Cover with portland, scrub with the block.
This only works on concrete that is smooth.

[Chuck Wintle]

What about ordinary dishwashing detergent? It is very good at cutting grease.

[harry strasil]

Dawn Dish Washing Soap, half and half with water, let soak then scrub.

[Cecil Arnold]

Simple Green.

[John Shuk]

I use Meriodic (sp?) Acid. It the same stuff used to balance the ph in swimming pools.You can buy it at the borg. Works great, just don't get it on yourself. pour a little on scrub it with a brush and hose it off.

Wasn't Meriodic one of the Hobbitts in Lord of the Rings?

[Hal Flynt]

If Simple Green or the other ideas don't do it...

I would give TIDE a try, not the liquid and not another brand. I can't tell you why this is. A few years back while a member of the Power Washer equivalent of Sawmill Creek, Tide was the trick and I keep a box of the powder for those occasions.

First get as much of the lose stuff off as will come off, even power washing. Then mix a thick paste with the Tide and water and let it sit on there for weeks or until a big rain. I have one stain left after treating about 6 successfully and this works the best even though it may take more than one treatment.

As a preventative I keep a big bag of OIL DRY handy and sometimes mix it with the Tide powder.

I have no affiliation with Tide.

[Al Killian]

There are two things that work for me, battery acid or powderd car wash soap from NAPA. These are what we used at the truck stop to clen the shop floor at the end of the week.

[Randy Meijer]

I have read that trisodiumphosphate will do a good job although have never used it myself. Fancy name; but all of the borgs should have it.

I just cleaned up a 15 year old driveway with a pressure washer..... looks brand new; but would you believe there were no oil stains to start out with!! I'm guessing a pressure washer would be a big help.

On the other hand, I tried the PW on some 5 year old paint overspray and it didn't touch it. Had to apply paint stripper for a half hour, first, and then the power washer......no more paint !!!

[sandy jacklin]

I have tried many products in the past to remove such ugly oil stains off my driveway, but none of them made any difference. I finally found an oil stain remover that worked for me when my friend told me about OIL GONE EASY HOME & DRIVEWAY S-200. This eco-friendly product can remove any oil stain from any surface.You can learn more about this product at oilgoneeasy.com

[Lee Schierer]

Go to the local auto parts store and buy a can of Gunk or other spray engine cleaner. Spray the cleaner on the oil stain wait about 20 minutes and come back with your hose or pressure washer and rinse it off. You may need to repeat the process once the concrete dries out. It works even better if you can rinse with hot water.