Welcome back! In this blog, we will be taking another look into how to remove oil stains from an asphalt driveway.
We, at Sunrise Asphalt, understand that although you try your best to keep those oil spills to a minimum, sometimes they are inevitable. Not only do oil stains tarnish the look of your asphalt, they also are a bit difficult to clean up. So, let’s look at some additional options to the ones already mentioned in our previous blog.
With all these options and tips, we hope you find at least one that will help you remove those stubborn oil stains!
Fresh Oil Stains
To recap, it is important to clean up any excess oil first. One way you can do this is by placing cat litter on the wet area and letting it soak overnight. Cat litter will absorb the oil so that you can sweep it away the next day. Once you have swept, and disposed of the cat litter properly, you can now focus on removing or lightening up the oil stain in your driveway. If you do not have cat litter, another alternative is cornstarch!
So along with the methods already mentioned, here are a few more to consider when you want to remove oil stains from an asphalt driveway.
Steam Pressure Washer
A steam pressure washer is one of the most effective ways to remove or lighten up oil stains. The high heat aids in activating the chemical detergent, as well as getting rid of oil stains faster.
So, how does it exactly work? The extreme heat in the water will lift and liquefy the oil from the asphalt surface. This, then, allows the commercial degreaser to go in and dissolve or emulsify the grease that lies underneath the surface. As the oil or grease lifts up and out of the asphalt, the high pressure of the water washes it all away.
This is also one of the safest and most environmentally friendly methods!
Simple Green
Harsh chemicals aren’t any good for the sealer (you do have a sealer don’t you?) so stick to these tried, true, and most importantly gentle methods for cleaning up oil stains. Simple Green is a powerful cleaner that can do the necessary work to break down the stain, without breaking down the asphalt and sealer beneath it. When your goal is to try and make the asphalt look better, damaging it in the process is not the way to go about it.
Sealcoat
Let’s say you have tried most or all of these methods and you are receiving little to no success with an impossible oil stain. Or, maybe there are too many oil stains in your driveway and removing them all would be time-consuming and strenuous. In this case, a fresh layer of sealcoat might be your best and easiest option. Sealcoating your asphalt driveway will not only provide a top layer of protection from asphalt enemies, but it will also cover up those stubborn oil stains on your driveway.
And if you are looking for professionals to assist you with a fresh looking and stain-free driveway, give us a call or send us an email for a free estimate! Our family-owned business prides in providing excellent results for all our clients here in Tucson. We would be more than happy to give you the best sealcoat you have ever seen!
