Removing Oil Stains from a Tarmac Drive??

Removing Oil Stains from a Tarmac Drive??

Author
Discussion

shimmey69

Original Poster:

1,525 posts

193 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

1,516 posts

190 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

13,623 posts

246 months

Monday 17th May 2010
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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

1,932 posts

185 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

1,516 posts

190 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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!

5,255 posts

195 months

Monday 17th May 2010
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Cillit Bang.

seriously.

OwenK

3,472 posts

210 months

Monday 17th May 2010
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If all else fails, coke will take the edge off it though probably not remove it completely.

Whitean3

2,194 posts

213 months

Monday 17th May 2010
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Speak to BP- they should know a thing about cleaning up oil by now....

pilchardthecat

7,483 posts

194 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

8,644 posts

262 months

Monday 17th May 2010
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Have you noticed how when you actually need a pikey with some leftover tarmac there's never one around?

Hitch78

6,118 posts

209 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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_

12,268 posts

265 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
cheap coca cola smile

Hitch78

6,118 posts

209 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

27,719 posts

246 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

7,483 posts

194 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

3,206 posts

269 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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

3,331 posts

185 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
_Batty_ said:
cheap coca cola smile
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

78,528 posts

297 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
DaveH23 said:
_Batty_ said:
cheap coca cola smile
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

13,814 posts

206 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
I'm moving out in a week and it never occurred to me to scrub oil off the drive!

shimmey69

Original Poster:

1,525 posts

193 months

Monday 17th May 2010
quotequote all
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