How to Remove Oil Stains From an Asphalt Driveway
Better Homes & Gardens recommends soaking up oil with cat litter or baking soda, then scrubbing with dish soap and a heavy-duty brush and rinsing, and says to skip solvents on asphalt. Before sealcoating, SealMaster says to treat oil and grease spots with an oil spot primer so the sealer can bond.
Soak it up, then scrub
Better Homes & Gardens recommends applying cat litter or baking soda to an oil stain and letting it soak up the oil, then sweeping it up. For what remains, it suggests pouring dish soap on the stain, scrubbing with a heavy-duty brush, and rinsing, repeating until the stain is gone. Powdered laundry detergent is its other household option.
Why solvents are a problem on asphalt
Better Homes & Gardens says that if the driveway is asphalt, skip solvents and use soap. The reason shows up in Pavement Interactive's description of cutback asphalt: asphalt dissolves in solvents such as gasoline and kerosene. A solvent strong enough to cut the oil can cut the asphalt binder too.
Oil spots and sealcoat
SealMaster's sealcoating guidance says to treat gas, oil and grease spots with an oil spot primer before sealing. Its Petro Seal primer instructions say to scrape or wire-brush off heavy build-up first and let the primer dry completely before the sealer goes on.
Keep reading
Sources
- Better Homes & Gardens, How to Remove Oil Stains From a Driveway
- Pavement Interactive, Bituminous Surface Treatments (chip seals)
- SealMaster, Sealcoating FAQ
- SealMaster, Petro Seal concentrated oil spot primer
Frequently Asked Questions
Better Homes & Gardens recommends cat litter or baking soda to soak up oil, followed by scrubbing with dish soap and rinsing.
Better Homes & Gardens says to skip solvents on asphalt and use soap. Pavement Interactive notes asphalt dissolves in solvents such as gasoline and kerosene.
SealMaster says oil and grease spots should be treated with an oil spot primer before sealcoating.