Removing Oil Stains from Asphalt Driveways

Keep a bag of kitty litter or newspaper in your garage so that you can promptly address an oil spill. Oil stains on an asphalt driveway are unsightly and aggravating, as they can be difficult to remove. However, by using the right cleaning products and a little elbow grease removing oil stains is possible.

Learn when is the right time for sealing an asphalt driveway.

Removing Fresh Oil Stains from Asphalt Driveways

One common way to remove a recently made oil spill on an asphalt driveway is to sprinkle kitty litter onto the fresh oil spill.

The kitty litter absorbs the oil so that you can then use a dustpan and broom to collect as much of the freshly spilled oil as possible. After sprinkling the kitty litter onto the oil spill area, allow the litter to sit overnight. Also, use a broom to push the litter around to absorb as much of the oil as possible.

Once you have swept up the oil laden kitty litter, next apply a dish soap detergent to the oil stained area. Again, use a broom or coarse brush to scrub the area well as you work the soap into the affected area. Use a hose to wash away the soap detergent. Repeat this process several times to remove as much of the oil as possible. As an alternative to using soap and water, you can also try a commercial driveway cleaning product to remove the oil stain from the asphalt driveway.

However make sure you use a cleaning product that is specifically designed for removing oil spills from asphalt driveways. Using a driveway cleaning product meant for concrete driveways could damage your asphalt driveway if used.

Removing Old Oil Stains from Asphalt Driveways Removing old oil stains from asphalt driveway is nearly impossible to do, and consequently most folks find themselves turning to a driveway sealer as the best solution. A driveway sealer will effectively mask the oil stain. Applying a driveway sealer, however is time consuming and can be rather expensive.

Prior to going down the route of sealing your asphalt driveway you can also try applying baking soda or Tri Sodium Phosphate (TSP) to the oil spill area.

Simply apply the baking soda or TSP to the oil spill and rub in with a brush or broom. Let it sit for an hour and then wash it away with some water. TSP is quite caustic so take care when using it.

So with these few tips for removing oil stains from asphalt driveways you should be able to get your driveway looking nearly new again.