How do you remove oil stains from a driveway?


Quick Answer

To remove driveway oil stains, cover them with cat litter, sweep up the litter, and press newspapers over the stains. Apply liquid soap, scrub the stains, and rinse the driveway. This one-hour process requires lidded plastic bins, cat litter, a dustpan, a broom, newspapers, soap, a scrub brush and a hose.

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Full Answer

  1. Cover the stains with clean cat litter

    Pour fresh cat litter over the stains. Wait 10 minutes, and then scrub the litter into the stain with a broom. Sweep the litter into a dustpan, and dump it into a plastic bin.

  2. Blot the stains with newspaper

    Blot the stains with folded newspaper. Peel the paper away, ball it up, and set it in the plastic bin. Apply another sheet of paper, and blot again. Continue blotting the stains with fresh paper until the sheets no longer absorb oil. Fill the plastic bin with enough water to cover the kitty litter and oily newspapers. This is an important safety measure that prevents spontaneous combustion. Close the bin's lid, and discard it.

  3. Wash the driveway

    Saturate the stains with liquid dish soap, and scrub the area vigorously with a plastic-bristle brush. Squirt the driveway with water from a hose, and keep scrubbing. Rinse again, and inspect the results. If stains are still visible, apply more soap, scrub the stains, and rinse again.

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