How to Remove Oil Stains From a Cement Driveway

Oil stains on cement driveways cause dark, discolored areas.

Oil and grease stains on a cement driveway can happen as a result of working on the car or other things in the driveway or garage. In order to effectively remove oil stains from cement, the stains must be absorbed from the surface. It's important to remove oil stains from cement as quickly as possible because, despite the density of concrete, concrete absorbs oil stains.

Things You'll Need

• Cat litter
• Broom
• Dust pan
• Bucket
• 4 tsp. liquid hand dish washing detergent
• Scrub brush
• Hose

Instructions

1. Pour cat litter over the entire oil stain on the cement driveway. Allow the cat litter to absorb the oil for 30 minutes. If it looks like there's more oil to be absorbed, sweep up the first application of cat litter and discard. Add a fresh application of cat litter and let it sit for 30 minutes.

2. Sweep up the second application of cat litter and discard. Mix 4 tsp. of liquid hand dish washing detergent with 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket.

3. 

   Stiff bristled brushes work well to remove stains from cement.

   Scrub the oil stain with the soapy solution and a soft scrub brush. Add more soap solution, as needed. Scrub as the soap helps lift out remaining oil in the cement driveway.

4. Hose down the driveway to remove the soap solution. Allow the cement to air dry completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Use kerosene to help remove older, set-in oil stains on cement.

• Avoid the use of metal scrub brushes as they can damage the surface of the cement.

References

• Ask the Builder: Cleaning Concrete Oil Spots
• Mrs. Clean USA: How To Remove Oil Stains From a Driveway