Oil stains on concrete

[MartyStickle]

So a friend parked on my newish concrete driveway and his car is leaking oil. There are a bunch of stains and I wanted to get them off. I soaked the stains in WD40 degreaser and then used a power washer. They’re maybe a bit lighter but not much. Any suggestions....or I just live with it???

[Mike Johnson]

WD40 is not really a degreaser. I’d use a solvent like acetone or naphtha or toluene, with kitty litter to absorb the stuff after it has been thinned.

[MartyStickle]

[quote=Mike Johnson]
WD40 is not really a degreaser. I’d use a solvent like acetone or naphtha or toluene, with kitty litter to absorb the stuff after it has been thinned.[/quote

Didn’t use regular WD40. It was degreaser. ]

[Acer]

I find dish detergent to cut the oil with a good scrubbing with water works pretty well. The remaining stain will fade eventually.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

How smooth a finish is the concrete? I used to grind kitty litter into the driveway at my parent's house. For a smoother finish I would use thick paste made with a regular powdered detergent and scrub with a stiff nylon brush, let it sit for a half hour, scrub again, wipe up, and then power wash.

[MartyStickle]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
How smooth a finish is the concrete? I used to grind kitty litter into the driveway at my parent's house. For a smoother finish I would use thick paste made with a regular powdered detergent and scrub with a stiff nylon brush, let it sit for a half hour, scrub again, wipe up, and then power wash.

The concrete is rough

[Ombligo]

Not endorsed by environmentalists anywhere, but pour a small amount of gas on each spot, it will thin the oil and float it. Wash it away and then hit it with dish detergent and wash away again.

[Speedy]

Kitty litter works great, at least the stuff you buy at an auto parts store (Floor Dry). Spread it reasonably thick and let it sit indefinitely or until the rain eventually washes it away. As Acer said, the sun will do the rest.

[Buzz]

Get a power washer that lets you mix in stuff, or RYO power wash solution that you add 1/2 cup Dawn and 1 cup white vinegar per gallon of water. Pre-treat area with Oxy Clean stain remover, or paste of white vinegar and baking soda.






If the stain survives after three rounds of treatment (with kitty litter in between), sign friend's oil up for UFC, and don't them park on your driveway ever again.
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[Yoyodyne ArtWorks]

I had good luck with Oil Eater, it’s a citrus-based cleaner you can get on Amazon.