Removing Oil stains on asphalt driveway

[Hay Dude]

Not much We’ve had quite a bit of rain. Just got 2nd application of fresh cat litter and pulverized it into stains.

 

[Traumagas]

I would just buy asphalt sealer and re seal it . The customer will like the new lol ok his driveway and think you are a superstar
The drive sealer is cheaper then the labor you guys are talking and never gets rid of the stain

J

 

[Rockbadchild]

I would just buy asphalt sealer and re seal it . The customer will like the new lol ok his driveway and think you are a superstar
The drive sealer is cheaper then the labor you guys are talking and never gets rid of the stain

J

Issue with that is the driveway is 1000’ long

 

[CaptFerd]

When I was a kid working in a gas station I had to clean up a lot of oil and gas spills. Used oil dry and a swiveling mop handle with a 2x4 bolted to the end of it to break down and rub it in. Worked pretty good. Nothing in this world will make the stain disappear completely other than time and weather. I commend your efforts of taking responsibility.

 

[Rdr202]

I've had good luck using Simple Green concentrate a power washer and scrub brush. Hit oil stain with Simple Green let it sit for five or ten minutes use brush to scrub stain then use power washer .

 

[52farmer]

Not sure if this has been mentioned,but I have used dry cement or mortar crushed and rubbed into stain ,has worked well for me.

 

[jetdriver]

brake parts cleaner

 

[rich1023]

Had the misfortune of blowing a transmission oil return line down onto a customers driveway. Immediately Did the usual dose of kitty litter/absorbent.
This is no puddle. It’s a 100-150 foot long puddle.
Kitty litter did a decent job on what oil was laying on the surface, but now I still have the stain. I have been given a few different suggestions on remediation.

1. Wait until it dries and seal driveway. Issue with that is the driveway is 1000’ long. Might look odd to seal only 100-150’ of it. Whole driveway would be very expensive

2. Power-wash driveway with a Dawn & water mixture. Still pondering this solution.

Anyone else had luck with a very large stain like this?


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IMHO use a good detergent directly on the worst area with only enough H2O to create a scrub base, yes the area is large but a good scrub brush and manual labor will emulsify the oil. Rinse or power rinse, dry with blower, assess the need for repeat treatment where needed. Pre-seal with a stain blocker before sealing drive.

 

[Hay Dude]

I think I have used the kitty litter about as much as possible to soak up oil.
Now it’s time to look at a cleaning solution.

When you say “detergent”, are you talking Tide, Dawn, or ….what?

 

[Tinhack]

brake parts cleaner

That only works on concrete. I use lacquer thinner. It's cheaper and works better. But, like I said, only on concrete. Pour it on, let sit for a minute then soak it up with paper towels. This method has always worked for me.

That oil will bleed through any top coating unless you first seal it with something else. Perhaps a vinyl or polyester sealer. Then topcoat. The oil has already blended with the asphalt by now. No amount of cleaning will separate it.

 

[paulsharvey]

brake parts cleaner

Will absolutely dissolve the AC in the asphalt

 

[Eebbee]

Had the misfortune of blowing a transmission oil return line down onto a customers driveway. Immediately Did the usual dose of kitty litter/absorbent.
This is no puddle. It’s a 100-150 foot long puddle.
Kitty litter did a decent job on what oil was laying on the surface, but now I still have the stain. I have been given a few different suggestions on remediation.

1. Wait until it dries and seal driveway. Issue with that is the driveway is 1000’ long. Might look odd to seal only 100-150’ of it. Whole driveway would be very expensive

2. Power-wash driveway with a Dawn & water mixture. Still pondering this solution.

Anyone else had luck with a very large stain like this?


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I would be inclined to think that the asphalt might be affected by the oil as "Paulsharvey" mentions but if not affected I would give a try to Nano Soaps.
There was one I used to buy that was sold under "NanoGreen" but I can't find it anymore. This was a product developed as a fungicide for rice blight that was an incredible plant booster but was also an incredible de-greaser. (I remember from the website the claim that the US Navy was using it at sea, as non toxic de-greaser).
It was fairly expensive (like $100/gallon) but was used in 1 to 600 ratio.
That stuff was incredible for cleaning oil. One drop would instantly emulsify old motor oil mixed in water allowing to wash the container without leaving any oil mark.
I am sure that you would be able to find it under a different name while searching for nano soaps.

So if the asphalt is not affected I would try this on a small portion and would try to spray it on brush it in and then vacuum while rinsing.
On the other hand, if you have insurance maybe you should just let the insurance deal with it...!

 

[Lifttrainer]

Test on a small area first

WD-40. Spray this product onto the oil stain and let it sit for about 30 minutes. WD-40 is strong enough to not require scrubbing to remove the stain. If needed, you can choose to scrub the surface with a hard bristle brush before rinsing it off with water after another 30 minutes

 

[boogieman]

Had the misfortune of blowing a transmission oil return line down onto a customers driveway. Immediately Did the usual dose of kitty litter/absorbent.
This is no puddle. It’s a 100-150 foot long puddle.
Kitty litter did a decent job on what oil was laying on the surface, but now I still have the stain. I have been given a few different suggestions on remediation.

1. Wait until it dries and seal driveway. Issue with that is the driveway is 1000’ long. Might look odd to seal only 100-150’ of it. Whole driveway would be very expensive

2. Power-wash driveway with a Dawn & water mixture. Still pondering this solution.

Anyone else had luck with a very large stain like this?


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Purple power from wally world.
My neighbor has great luck with using Purple Power from Walmart .
It's worth a try!
Good luck

 

[plowhog]

I do have a weed torch and a full tank of propane.

Shortly after finishing my brand new asphalt driveway, a different contractor began working on my entry gates. His older, leaky truck was parked on the lower driveway-- staining the brand new asphalt in many areas.

He hired someone to come out with a weed torch to work it. It's not perfect, but a *lot* better than it was in the beginning. Previously, it was obvious where the stains were. Now if I point them out someone can see them. Quite a difference.

I don't know if he helped or harmed the long term longevity of the asphalt by using the torch. But it did visibly improve the look.

 

[terraformer]

Had the misfortune of blowing a transmission oil return line down onto a customers driveway. Immediately Did the usual dose of kitty litter/absorbent.
This is no puddle. It’s a 100-150 foot long puddle.
Kitty litter did a decent job on what oil was laying on the surface, but now I still have the stain. I have been given a few different suggestions on remediation.

1. Wait until it dries and seal driveway. Issue with that is the driveway is 1000’ long. Might look odd to seal only 100-150’ of it. Whole driveway would be very expensive

2. Power-wash driveway with a Dawn & water mixture. Still pondering this solution.

Anyone else had luck with a very large stain like this?


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The asphalt pavement is mainly oil and rock you just added a layer. No worries.

 

[Gord Baker]

Had the misfortune of blowing a transmission oil return line down onto a customers driveway. Immediately Did the usual dose of kitty litter/absorbent.
This is no puddle. It’s a 100-150 foot long puddle.
Kitty litter did a decent job on what oil was laying on the surface, but now I still have the stain. I have been given a few different suggestions on remediation.

1. Wait until it dries and seal driveway. Issue with that is the driveway is 1000’ long. Might look odd to seal only 100-150’ of it. Whole driveway would be very expensive

2. Power-wash driveway with a Dawn & water mixture. Still pondering this solution.

Anyone else had luck with a very large stain like this?


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Sorry about your bad luck.
Hope the Trans is OK. That looks like a newer Driveway and after a year it will fade into the asphalt. Only other way I know of is to seal it in a year or so.
If it is still fresh, you could try dry sand and leave it on for a few weeks. It may absorb or sink into the substrate.

 

[terraformer]

Shortly after finishing my brand new asphalt driveway, a different contractor began working on my entry gates. His older, leaky truck was parked on the lower driveway-- staining the brand new asphalt in many areas.

He hired someone to come out with a weed torch to work it. It's not perfect, but a *lot* better than it was in the beginning. Previously, it was obvious where the stains were. Now if I point them out someone can see them. Quite a difference.

I don't know if he helped or harmed the long term longevity of the asphalt by using the torch. But it did visibly improve the look.

The heat blended the added oil with the asphalt oil. I wonder how much damage they did to the asphalt by heating the surface with a torch. Time will tell.

 

[cdestuck]

Oil the whole thing to match. Works on chip and seal pavement. Might want to use a cheaper oil

Might go to jail for that.

 

[Eagle1]

Might go to jail for that.

For using something cheaper than high end hydraulic oil? or for using chip and seal pavement?