[Allworth]

I am looking for a way to lessen old oil stains on a concrete driveway. Tried 130bar jetwash with no avail. I've tried brake cleaner before briefly but got convinced it has no effect. Now thinking of flipping slabs to the other side.

[danb1979]

Originally Posted by Allworth

I am looking for a way to lessen old oil stains on a concrete driveway. Tried 130bar jetwash with no avail. I've tried brake cleaner before briefly but got convinced it has no effect. Now thinking of flipping slabs to the other side.

That; once it's in, it's in and there's no removing it...

Like you I tried everything on my folks driveway when my Mum's BMW E46 330Ci started leaking (as all M54s do) many years ago...

Got rid of most, but there was always a mark there and when it rained; it always formed a waterproof patch

[NanasBack]

Could you brush some oil onto the rest of the slab?
Maybe make a pattern of slabs?
Or does it not stain evenly?

Just an idea before flipping the slab.
You can bet the other side will be a slightly different colour.....

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Allworth

I am looking for a way to lessen old oil stains on a concrete driveway. Tried 130bar jetwash with no avail. I've tried brake cleaner before briefly but got convinced it has no effect. Now thinking of flipping slabs to the other side.

The problem with brake cleaner and the like is that it's too volatile so doesn't help you get the stuff out the concrete (or indeed anything porous). If it's diesel oil then that always seems to much worse in my experience. I still rate gunk, although fairy liquid and boiling water followed by scrubbing, another application and then jet washing can help as Fairy does a great job of breaking down the oil while the foaming helps lift it out the surface. Neat strong alkali degreaser like BH surfex mixed with fairy is good too.

If there are still stains then you can help cover them by sprinkling cement powder onto the area on the slab that's stained.

[Allworth]

I'll just flip. Can do it only once, though..

[bishbosh]

I have several oil stains from when the oil cooler was leaking, the car doesn't drip oil anymore. Tried gunk which helped a bit. Good tip for the cement, I'll give that a go.

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Allworth

I'll just flip. Can do it only once, though..

I hope that works, if it does it might just be the easy option. I got roped into helping a mate once do that. Not for oil stains but just general marks and such on a property he'd moved into. Turned out that whatever they'd laid it on had stained it worse than the marks on the topside! I suspect it was old shale oil spoil and the remaining oil from there had seeped into the slabs. I declined his kind offer of me helping to return them all to the original side up!

[Pond]

Paving slabs have a 'good side' and a 'bad side' though. The underside usually has 'dimples' so it will show and look almost as bad.

I have the same problems with brick sets and an old coolant leak. Every time it rains, the coolant rises to the surface again and stays for weeks.

The ONLY cure is to replace the affected slabs, as the oil or whatever will have soaked into the whole thing and there is no getting it out.

You could try setting fire to the slab, but it will eventually explode. Ask me how I know!

[peetee]

Don’t waste your time and money with stain removers. Use propane torch

[Sasquartch]

Washing powder always seems to work quite well if scrubbed and left, possibly the powder has some sort of wicking effect that lifts the oil

[dave550i]

How about trying Brick cleaner? needs handling with care as quite a strong acid, maybe worth a try

[Allworth]

Originally Posted by peetee

Don’t waste your time and money with stain removers. Use propane torch

Just tried a gas torch, no effect at all. Maybe too week as its a soldering torch.

Originally Posted by dave550i

How about trying Brick cleaner? needs handling with care as quite a strong acid, maybe worth a try

Brick cleaner has a hydrochloric acid as an active ingredient, while it does good job removing mortar residue it does nothing to oils.

[peetee]

Soldiering torch is weak. If you have a family member or friend who does roofing or central heating they should be able to help you. Buy them a drink

Honestly best way

[DThr33]

possibly a daft question - have you tried dish soap? seems to be all they use to clean up birds etc after oil spills in the ocean.

not quite engine oil but i had decent luck with it and some old oil/grease stains, tried to get it to soak in to the patio with a bit of water (not enough to wash it away) and scrubbed with a stiff brush, then jet washed off

[G82Dude]

Boiling water straight from a kettle can be good, unless it's really seeped into concrete...

[Allworth]

Thanks all, I realized that I have clean slabs under the shed that will be good for a swap.
As well as found out that there is no way to remove it completely but only to decrease its visibility slightly. And yes, its a really intense stain from a differential box.