Remedies for oil patch on driveway??

bitemybanger · 06-10-2011 2:50pm #1

Had a leaky jeep for a while but got rid of it now. Just wondering has anyone any homemade concoctions to get rid of the patch?
I tried power washing but it just gets the heavy stuff off and leaves a rainbow river down my drive. Someone mentioned there is a cocktail of home ingredients which can be mixed to remove most of the patch? Any recipes?

MetzgerMeister · 06-10-2011 2:54pm

I think if you pour petrol onto the stain, ignite it and let it burn it removes the oil stain. Not 100% sure if it works or not!

voxpop · 06-10-2011 3:10pm

I got some swarfega stuff from B&Q - not the handwash stuff, its specifically for cleaning oil spills.

People have said washing powder - i tried that and it did nothing

unkel · 06-10-2011 3:18pm

Coca Cola

For Forks Sake · 06-10-2011 3:25pm

einheisserschre wrote: »

I think if you pour petrol onto the stain, ignite it and let it burn it removes the oil stain. Not 100% sure if it works or not!

Have you a video of this being done? I'm curious as to how it works out

Mr Benevolent · 06-10-2011 3:28pm

Washing up liquid worked for me on fuel oil.

Jackasaurus rex · 06-10-2011 3:32pm

Washing powder worked on mine. but the rest of the driveway looked dirty then

si_guru · 06-10-2011 5:05pm

Jackasaurus rex wrote: »

Washing powder worked on mine. but the rest of the driveway looked dirty then

+1.. use a stiff broom to agitate.

studdlymurphy · 06-10-2011 5:15pm

More Oil. Fight fire with fire, If you cover the whole drive then there won't be a patch. Easy

veetwin · 06-10-2011 6:31pm

I have used this stuff before on a cobble lock driveway and it did the trick;

http://www.liqui-moly.de/liquimoly/produktdb.nsf/id/en_3315.html?OpenDocument&land=GB&voilalang=e&voiladb=web.nsf

Local motor factors had it.

savagecabbages · 06-10-2011 6:34pm

unkel wrote: »

Coca Cola

Urban myth (or not) that Coca Cola was the best thing to remove blood and oil stains from the road after an accident...

BailMeOut · 06-10-2011 6:41pm

cat litter is supposed to work great.

bitemybanger · 06-10-2011 6:55pm

Cheers for the replies so far folks,
I herd the cat litter is good. I'd be a bit skeptic about the petrol one.
I was thinking a blowtorch might burn it off, my dad has one so think I'll give that a go at the weekend. Failing that I'll go with studdlymurphys idea:D

Cubed · 06-10-2011 7:09pm

I had an oil stain on my paved drive,Coca cola scrubbed with a dishwashing brush did help shift the heavy stuff followed with a few basins of boiling water. There is still a light stain left but not nearly as noticeable

ianobrien · 06-10-2011 7:14pm

As oil is an organic chemical, and using the ol' phrase "like dissolves like", you'll need another organic to remove it. That means the like of petrol, Acetone, White Spirits, brake disc cleaner etc. Household cleaners will work with scrubbing eventually, but a drop of petrol will loosen it.

Pouring half a gallon of petrol or acetone is not recommended as you'll have to clean that up and washing it down the drains is not a good idea.

I've used the bit of petrol to soften it and neat Fairy Liquid to scrub and it worked for me.

ianobrien · 06-10-2011 7:22pm

unkel wrote: »

Coca Cola

Believe it or not, that works on getting oil off a clutch. I had a crankshaft oil seal go in a car in Killarney on me, spraying oil onto the clutch. The car had a small panel on top of the bellhousing so the flywheel/crank could be locked for changing the timing belt. A half litre of coke down there in Killarney got me to the Macroom and another bottle of coke got me to Cork City.

When I got home, there was a nice oil/coke paste dripping from the car.

mikemac · 06-10-2011 7:26pm

Another vote for Coca Cola

-Chris- · 06-10-2011 9:13pm

I know a garage that uses Coca Cola to clear DPFs.

Nasty stuff...

Delancey · 06-10-2011 9:39pm

OP - you don't say if your driveway is Tarmac , if it is be very careful what solvents you use as they may be Tar Acids ( and thus dissolve your driveway !! ).
Amazing how many people use Jeyes Fluid to clean their drives not realising it's a tar acid.

mondeo · 06-10-2011 9:51pm

I got a gearbox oil stain in my driveway for years, it seems to have reacted with the tarmac and left a permanent discoloration of the tarmac itself. I got regular engine oil stains off my driveway by squeezing lots of lemon juice on them after nothing else seemed to work.

Remedies for oil patch on driveway??

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