How to Remove Oil Stains from Pavers – Key Tips

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(Newswire.net — November 20, 2019) — Had an oily accident on your paver, but don’t know how to remove oil stains from pavers? It doesn’t matter what happened to your pavement: any kind of unkempt old oil stains on the driveway are terrible news, especially if you don’t know how to remove old oil stains from pavers. Although some cleaning products can teach you how to remove stains from pavers and solve your problem to some extent, it won’t suffice entirely, especially if this problem persists or repeats later, so it’s better to know how to clean grease off patio pavers by yourself and not have to rely on products and cleaners for the rest of your life.

How to Remove Oil Stains from Pavers

Pavers are often a favorite of many homeowners who are looking to spruce up their driveways or are looking for backyard ideas for small areas. This article has prepared a step-by-step guide that will teach you how to remove oil stains from pavers by yourself, without having to purchase any expensive item at your nearest home improvement center. Although it’s possible to have your driveway or backyard pavers professionally cleaned or simply replace the stained paving stones, we recommend you to check our DIY guide and save yourself some valuable bucks.

Step 1

If the oil stain is recent and with some drops sitting on the surface, soak up as much of the liquid as possible with rags or paper towels. If you have old oil stains in the driveway, however, a more aggressive alternative is to spray oven cleaner on the stain, letting it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes, and then rinse. We don’t recommend you this, though, because oven cleaners are filled with health-hazardous chemicals, so it might be ideal to purchase a potent a driveway cleaner or hire professional services to avoid breathing oven cleaners. The same goes for if you’ve spilled oil on your carpet and want to get it off. Soak it first and then proceed to clean it. 

Basically, the first step is all about understanding the nature of your stain and hoping there’s still time to do something about it.

Step 2

If the oil or grease has spread all over your paving stones, you’ll have to scatter some kitty litter over it and gently push it into the stain (don’t use a wire brush, though, or it’ll scratch the pavers). Let the litter absorb the liquid, and then remove it with a broom.

Step 3

With a scrub or deck brush, scrub the area with a mix of water and dish soap or baking soda, which are particularly good on smaller stains, and spray the area with a garden hose (much better if you can do it with a high-pressure nozzle for a direct hit). You can also opt for a pressure washer, which are far more effective, although, sadly, those can damage hard surfaces.

Other Considerations

How do you get oil stains out of a driveway with a pressure washer?

If the spill is new, a pressure washer can remove grease stains almost instantly. You just have to apply a cleaner to the stain and scrub with a brush or broom, then add detergent to your pressure washer so you can begin spraying.  Some people have even found a lint removal tool helpful in speeding the process.

Does bleach remove oil stains from concrete?

Yes. First, you need to pour some bleach onto the stained area and then rinse with hot water. For old oil stains in the driveway, applying bleach and then following our step-by-step guide above is a good solution as well.

Bottom Line 

This article taught you how to remove oil stains from pavers with simple household products. However, we know that each case differs, so even if you knew how to remove old oil stains from pavers and yet can’t seem to bring a change to your driveway or to add to your pool landscaping and add a pool deck, we recommend you to either get more specialized products or hire professionals to do the job for you. Still, as long as you know how to remove stains from pavers and follow our how to clean grease off patio pavers guide, no old oil stains in the driveway will be a match for you.