Removing Oil Stains from a Tarmac Drive??

[shimmey69]

My Landrover had oil leaks all over it, and has left lovely nice oil stains all over the drive, now i have tried some Gunk Drive way cleaner and it hasnt really done much, anyone got any suggestions as it a rented property and we move out in a week!!

Many thanks

[joebongo]

I used that Gunk and also found it didn't do an awful lot despite using a wire scrubber as well.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/203...

I got the Gunk one as Halfrauds didn't have the Swarfega one in stock, but I found it 5 mins later in B&Q of all places.

That will be next on my list.

[randlemarcus]

Washing powder, brushed in well with a fine brush, and left on for a bit. Failing that, plantpots, or at worst a vehicle.

[Colin 1985]

Do you have, or can you borrow a pressure washer? When younger I accidentally blasted the paint off the driveway so it should(?) be able to remove oil?

[joebongo]

I also got some of that Vanish stain remover stuff. It's for clothes but I wondered if it would do the job in a similar way to the wasing powder?

[JB!]

Cillit Bang.

seriously.

[OwenK]

If all else fails, coke will take the edge off it though probably not remove it completely.

[Whitean3]

Speak to BP- they should know a thing about cleaning up oil by now....

[pilchardthecat]

If chemicals and scrubbing don't work, then the oil has mixed with the bitumen (the two are miscible). You'll need to melt the surface with a decent blowtorch.

[Flintstone]

Have you noticed how when you actually need a pikey with some leftover tarmac there's never one around?

[Hitch78]

pilchardthecat said:

If chemicals and scrubbing don't work, then the oil has mixed with the bitumen (the two are miscible). You'll need to melt the surface with a decent blowtorch.

Now that's a proper PH answer! Just skip the chemicals and the scrubbing and step straight to the flame-thrower...

[_Batty_]

cheap coca cola

[Hitch78]

pilchardthecat said:

If chemicals and scrubbing don't work, then the oil has mixed with the bitumen (the two are miscible). You'll need to melt the surface with a decent blowtorch.

Now that's a proper PH answer! Just skip the chemicals and the scrubbing and step straight to the flame-thrower...

[Monkeylegend]

Cats urine. You need to build a circular dam around the oil stains with cat litter or something similar, the cats will then pee in it. Worked a treat on my driveway.
































Sorry just taking the piss. You need to use a non absorbent material for the dam otherwise it just soaks uo the urine. It needs to pool over the stain to work properly.HTH

[pilchardthecat]

Hitch78 said:

pilchardthecat said:

If chemicals and scrubbing don't work, then the oil has mixed with the bitumen (the two are miscible). You'll need to melt the surface with a decent blowtorch.

Now that's a proper PH answer! Just skip the chemicals and the scrubbing and step straight to the flame-thrower...

It's true though, if you leave the oil for months (especially in the summer) it will mix, and you'll need to BURN IT OFF!

[AcidReflux]

randlemarcus said:

Washing powder, brushed in well with a fine brush, and left on for a bit. Failing that, plantpots, or at worst a vehicle.

Washing powder worked for me too. It didn't remove the stain completely because it's diesel oil (sooty) but it removed the oil.

[DaveH23]

_Batty_ said:

cheap coca cola

This works a treat, my drive is tiled in different shades of red.

Coke cleaned oil off fine, and leaves no trace of it being there.

[ShadownINja]

DaveH23 said:

_Batty_ said:

cheap coca cola

This works a treat, my drive is tiled in different shades of red.

Coke cleaned oil off fine, and leaves no trace of it being there.

Excellent. Where does the coke/oil mix run to, though?

[cs02rm0]

I'm moving out in a week and it never occurred to me to scrub oil off the drive!

[shimmey69]

cs02rm0 said:

I'm moving out in a week and it never occurred to me to scrub oil off the drive!

you obviously dont own a landrover, mine has covered the drive in oil stains!!! will try and get pictures, but have various oil stains from gearbox, engine, power steering fluid, grease etc etc!!!!


i have tried the pressure washer and that didnt work, removes the top ste but not the acutal stain

I have tried blow torch, to little avail, i eventually got it so hot that it was boiling water instantly but left a scorch mark instead of an oil stain!!

Tried the gunk driveway cleaner, it says to dilute 4:1 on tarmac, i was using neat and still didnt really move it

Will try the cheap coke trick next, if not im going try this