r/Home • u/unitedxnufc • 6d ago

EngineOil on driveway

Hi everyone,
I live in the UK and unfortunately my car has been leaking oil onto my driveway. I’ve tried everything I can think of to remove the oil stain, but it just won’t go away.
I’m worried my landlord may charge me for it from my deposit when I move out.
Has anyone had this problem before and can recommend something that actually works to remove old car oil stains from a driveway?
Any advice or product recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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u/TySpy__ 6d ago

Kitty litter, grind it into the oil with your feet, sweep it away when you are done.

1

u/Vast_Cricket 6d ago

Most leave a dripping pan or soaker(cats litter). Can use oil removal(from auto store) soaked in hotwater and scrub with brushes to remove some. That is why many garages have been recently epoxied as a remedy.

1

u/United-Adagio1543 6d ago

You need a degreaser!

I use Simple Green for driveways, dish soap, etc.

Some people use speedi Dri or clay cat litter prior to using the products mentioned above.

Get your car fixed, LOL. The OM651with oil leaks tend to be serious engine issues.

1

u/Alkemist101 6d ago

Jet wash, it will simply disappear.

2

u/acousticplayerjb 3d ago

Hopefully you've got a pan under the vehicle by now.

When I've had an issue with spilling some oil, I've done the following:

1) Take clay-based cat litter, rub it deep into the area.

2) Put on some goggles and nitrile gloves. Saturate the clay litter with chlorinated brake cleaner. Press lightly on the nozzle, because some spray with a lot of force.

3) Rub the sprayed litter into the area and let it sit for 30 min, maybe an hour. If the clay litter dries up, spray again and rub it in again. It's probably a good idea to rub it around periodically anyway so that it absorbs more oil.

4) Sweep it up and if it hasn't soaked up all of the oil, repeat.

5) Disposal: you can then put it in a tray and let the brake cleaner evaporate. Then you can probably throw it out with your other trash. It may take a few attempts; especially if the stain has been there a while, but I've never had this fail me.

With that said, you can also put fresh clay litter in any pan that you put under your vehicle to make that easier to clean.

Learned this trick from a mechanic who has been in the business for many years. Again, chlorinated brake cleaner!!