How to remove oil from a driveway using everyday products

Wondering how to remove oil from a driveway? Don't worry, we asked the experts for their very best tips on how to banish unsightly marks with minimum effort in order to ensure your well-planned driveway design won't be ruined.

"One of the biggest pains for driveway owners is oil stains. While most people will be happy to accept a little bit of dirt now and again, oil stains are a whole different story," says Jamie Welch, director of Terraform Driveways. "Not only do they look pretty unpleasant but they can also affect the integrity of the driveway itself."

In this handy guide, we offer up the most effective methods around to ensure that your kerb appeal won't be spoilt by oily patches littering your drive.

How to remove oil from a driveway safely

If you are keen to steer clear of harsh chemicals there is some good news – the majority of the methods here use products you may well already have at home. 

That said, it still pays to be careful if your driveway ideas include some well-stocked flower beds nearby.

"Some of the cleaning products that you might use to deal with oil spills could damage your plants or grass, so it can be a good idea to soak them with water before starting to remove oil stains," says Jamie Welch. "And remember that oil is a highly flammable substance, so if you use a method that requires rags or paper towels, you should make sure to dispose of these as soon as possible after you're done." 

1. Dig out the WD-40

WD-40 is useful for lots of applications around the home and garden – and oil stains on driveways can really benefit from use of this product – particularly if the oil hasn't had a chance to dry yet. 

Simply soak up as much of the oil as you can using absorbent kitchen paper before covering the area with a good spray of WD-40.

"Let it sit for five minutes then wipe it back up with some old rag. Finally, use dish soap and a heavy-duty brush with stiff bristles to scrub the area and then pour boiling water over it to rinse off any excess," advises Jame Welch.

Jamie Welch

Jamie is director of Terraform Driveways who provide professional driveways, patios and landscaping services across the North East of England – plus are full of useful advice for homeowners.

2. Raid the laundry room for detergent

Laundry detergent is made for stain removal from clothes – so why not driveways? Both liquid and powder detergents can be used for this method. 

"Laundry detergent is a good option for removing oil stains because it contains surfactants and often a mild alkali," explains Jamie Welch. "These are molecules that increase the ability of water and other substances to mix, which makes it effective at dissolving dirt as well as oil. Remember that oil is hydrophobic so a surfactant can help to lift it even when it wouldn't naturally."

Create a thickish paste using your laundry powder and water, apply to the stain and let it work its magic for around 30 minutes. You can then scrub the area with a sturdy wire or nylon brush – the Roughneck Heavy Duty Tapered Block Wire Brush from Amazon is a great option that is easy to work with. 

If you are using a liquid detergent, simply pour it directly onto the stain before continuing as above. 

At the end of the process, use a hose to rinse off the whole area. Once dry, if any stains remain, repeat the steps above before admiring your newly-restored front garden driveway ideas. 

3. Combine bicarbonate of soda with water

Is there anything that can't be solved by bicarbonate of soda? From removing mould from walls to getting water marks out of wood, this wonder product is a bit of a miracle worker. 

When it comes to driveways, make a paste by mixing it with warm water then cover the stain with it. You want to leave it there to do its job for at least 30 minutes –although overnight is better if possible. 

"Get in there with a stiff brush and some dish soap or even laundry detergent and give it a scrub," says Jamie Welch. "You may need to put in some elbow grease to remove the stains from your driveway but if you do catch it soon enough and it's a fresh stain, it shouldn't be too difficult. Finally, rinse with clean water."

4. Experiment with sawdust and paint thinner

If your oil stains are proving more stubborn than you first expected, it might be time to get a bit scientific here and make your own heavy-duty concoction. 

"The most common poultice to make to remove oil stains from a concrete driveway is sawdust and paint thinner," says Jamie. "The sawdust works by absorbing the oil. The addition of the paint thinner (lacquer thinner would also work) adds an extra element to tackling oil stains. Paint thinner is used to remove or dissolve oil paint, so the logic behind using it to remove oil stains on concrete makes sense."

The mixture will need to sit for at least 30 minutes before you pull out a study broom to sweep away the oil-soaked sawdust and hose off any that is left behind. Finally, scrub the area with a nylon-bristled brush and washing-up liquid, then rinse well. 

5. Break out the oven cleaner

If you think about the main point of oven cleaners – to remove baked-on grease from your oven – it makes perfect sense that they would work when it comes to getting oil stains off your driveway.

"Oven cleaner can be a great option for porous concrete because it will effectively be absorbed into all the little holes," explains Jamie Welch. "Simply spray the oven cleaner onto the stained area and make sure that it is completely saturated. Then leave it for 15-30 minutes and get to work with a scrubbing brush and some dish soap or detergent to get rid of as much oil as possible. Finally, use a hose or pressure washer with clean water to rinse the area."

Oven cleaners can contain some pretty harsh chemicals so do wear gloves, goggles and preferably a mask too when using and test on an inconspicuous area first as even the best driveway materials can react to certain products. 

6. Ask kitty to share the litter

If you are a cat owner you will probably have a bag or two of cat litter lying around – and it could just help with your driveway stains. 

"The cheaper cat litters use absorbent clay, sometimes with baking soda and other ingredients included. More expensive cat litter sodium bentonite (which clumps) or silica gel pearls," explains Jamie. "For getting rid of oil stains, you are actually better off using the cheaper absorbent clay because you don't want it to clump up. You can sprinkle cat litter over the oil stains on your concrete driveway and leave it to soak up the oil for 30 minutes for a small stain or overnight for a larger oil stain."

After sweeping the litter away, give the area a good scrub with warm water and washing up liquid before repeating the process if necessary.

7. Invest in a commercial oil remover

For particularly large oil stains or those that just refuse to disappear, it might be necessary to bite the bullet and opt for a powerful oil remover designed for driveways. 

"These cleaning solutions are usually made of a concentrated alkaline soap that works by overcoming oil's hydrophobic qualities," explains Jamie Welch. "This helps to remove oil stains from even tough driveway materials like concrete, so are perfect for stubborn oil stains as well as large stains."

Be sure to check the instructions for use and also that the cleaner is suitable for your driveway material. Oil Eater Original from Amazon is particularly highly rated. 

FAQs

Could commercial cleaners damage the driveway?

In some cases, powerful driveway cleaners or stain removers could do more harm than good – and you don't want to cause damage that might incur further driveway costs. 

"The pH of the cleaning substance may not be conducive with the type of paving being cleaned and may cause a chemical reaction that could leave markings on the surface of the paving, which often could be irreversible," warns paving and landscaping specialist Andy Mclaughlin at RF Paving  "For example, if brick acid was to be used on limestone it would cause damage. On the other hand, the cleaning substance may be totally ineffective for the type of stain that is needing to be removed, so, to reiterate, it is very important to seek advice prior to cleaning with chemicals."

Can pressure washers remove oil stains?

"Using cleaning agents and high-pressure washers is standard practice as long as used in the correct way," says Andy Mclaughlin. "When using a pressure washer to clean, a general piece of advice is to direct the nozzle at a 45-degree angle to the paving and at a suitable distance, but for stubborn markings a cleaning solution may be needed."

That said, even with the best pressure washers, it is still really important to exercise a little caution. 

"If you wrongly use a pressure washer with a high PSI, you have the potential to cause irreparable damage to the surface of your driveway," warns CEO and director of MaidForYou, Delah Gomasi.

Andy McLaughlin

Andy Mclaughlin is a paving and landscaping specialist at RF Paving, a familiy-run business who are the UK’s leading importers and distributors of stone, paving and contemporary garden solutions.

Driveway cleaning kit bag

If you fancy a budget-friendly driveway material that is also easy to lay on a DIY basis, why not take a look at our brilliant round-up of gravel driveway ideas?