Your asphalt driveway does many things. It boosts your home’s curb appeal, it provides a durable surface for your vehicle, it can even double as a recreational area for your kids’ chalk drawings! However, if your asphalt driveway has stains from oil and grease, it can easily become an eyesore. Not only that, big oil and grease stains in your driveway or garage can eventually make its way into your home, ruining your carpet and spreading everywhere else. Fortunately, while many driveway messes may seem impossible to remove, there are ways you can eliminate them using common household products and a little bit of elbow grease!
Dish Soap
If you want to remove oil and grease, dish soap is your go-to product. To use for cleaning your asphalt driveway, simply pour a generous amount over the stains, add a little bit of water, and scrub the pavement with a hard bristle brush. Remove the suds with a garden hose and voila! A clean driveway.
Cat Litter
Yep, you read that right! Believe it or not, cat litter has proven itself to be an effective asphalt cleaner when it comes to grease and oil stains. After mopping excess oil, sprinkle the cat litter on top of the stain. Work the litter down to ensure it penetrates deep into the surface. Let sit overnight, then sweep and rinse with water the following day.
Baking Soda
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on top of your driveway stains. Use a bit of water to create a paste, then brush the stain using a circular motion with a firm bristle brush. As the stain begins to come up, rinse and repeat.
Regular Soda
Coke-a-Cola and other pops can be used to remove the remaining oil stains after cleaning the top layer using the aforementioned methods in this post. To use soda as a cleaning agent, pour a can of pop onto the dry oil stain. Let it sit for 6 hours, giving it time to permeate the asphalt. Pour one more can of soda onto the stain before scrubbing the area with a hard brush. Let it sit for another hour, then finish by spraying with water.
As with most things, prevention is better than finding a cure. How can you help prevent a dirty asphalt driveway from occurring in the first place? We recommend sealcoating your asphalt driveway! This can prevent oil and grease from penetrating your pavement and making a mark. Not only that, it keeps your asphalt protected from elements like water, air, and UV rays; all of which can cause damage to your asphalt. The team at Epic Paving is here to help! Don’t hesitate to contact us today at 416-701-1881 or info@epicpaving.ca.
